


Wicked Games

by Lasae_abyss



Series: Wicked Games [1]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Genre: Crossdressing Kink, Dominance, Explicit Sexual Content, Light Bondage, M/M, rufus' stunning voice, wordgames
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-01-01
Packaged: 2017-11-25 05:39:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 28,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/635671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lasae_abyss/pseuds/Lasae_abyss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands.  He’s shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Call Me Daddy

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by: Cloud's [probable] abandonment complex with his father, Rufus' many issues with _his_ father and Cloud's line to Don Corneo after he was chosen for a bride; "Whatever _you_ want, Daddy."
> 
> To be taken with a grain of salt and a sense of humour.

 

In keeping with its name, the mountains around Healin Lodge radiated a kind of serene tranquillity. Usually when he was there Cloud could feel it influence his mind and settle deeply into his bones.

 

Not today. So many thoughts wound back and forth behind his eyes he couldn’t rest.

 

This morning he’d returned from Nibelheim; searching for some kind of closure, perhaps. Stupid decision. He’d found nothing there but bad memories.

 

Already short-tempered, his mood had been made worse when he found Rude and Reno sat at the bar drinking Heaven dry, despite the fact that it was eleven in the morning (or perhaps because of it - he hadn’t paid attention long enough to catch the reason).

 

The Kadaj affair had done a lot towards soothing the enmity between him and Shinra, and he’d settled most of his issues with the Turks a long time ago, but today the mere sight of Reno’s grinning face had made his teeth clench.

 

_“Hey, Cloud. How’s it hangin’?”_

 

Apparently Rufus wanted him out here for another delivery; some kind of “sensitive information” that had to be sent out south of the authorities. Cloud didn’t understand why the Turks were so inadequate for the job if they had time to waste taking up room in his space.

 

He parked Fenrir at the foot of the mountain and sat for a moment looking up at the lodge. Grey and rather austere, it jutted from the cliff side as a sober reminder of everything they'd lost to Geostigma.

 

With an audible sigh, Cloud dismounted smoothly and ascended to the first floor of the lodge. As always when he climbed these stairs, he was forcibly reminded of his first encounter with Shinra after Meteor fell, and how easily he had almost been manipulated into protecting Rufus. The memory still stung.

 

He moved unhesitatingly through the first room and into the second. A queen-sized bed lay across the room, half-hidden in shadow, but the space had at some point been at least partially converted into an office, as a small, walnut desk sat on one side of the room. Behind it sat the President of ShinRa Electric Power Company.

 

Cloud stood in the ashen room with one hand dangling close to the straps of his sheathed weapon. Rufus wore a black eye patch now. It was the only sign of the ravages of Geostigma and Cloud didn’t doubt that given another month it, too, would be gone.

 

"Strife." Rufus didn't look up. Cloud figured he was the only person brave or stupid enough to ignore the multiple firearms Rufus kept hidden on and around his person. White printouts lay scattered over the desk in organised chaos, and he sat immersed in them with pen in hand. “How are the children?” Rufus asked politely.

 

“As good as can be expected.” Glancing around the room Cloud noted the complete absence of personality. “Still here?”

 

“At the moment.” Rufus flexed his well-bred fingers and put the file he was working on to one side. “As soon as Reeve’s building project has got under way I imagine we’ll move back to Edge. For now, it'll have to do.” He picked up a manila folder and flicked through it. “Now, we’ve gained some rather delicate information on Tier & Tennan's research division that-”

 

“The point?” As far as he was concerned, the less he knew about ShinRa’s actions, the better.

 

“I need you to take it to Professor Siu Jiao in Wutai,” he replied absently, scrawling something across the bottom of a report. “I want her opinion on this. Turtle’s Paradise will have a room waiting.”

 

Cloud didn’t like the fact that the man had just assumed he’d do it: it rankled with him that Rufus thought he had nothing better to do than pander to his every whim.

 

On the other hand, gil was gil, and Rufus always paid well.

 

“Siu Jiao,” Cloud repeated.

 

“Mm. She’s a good friend; it shouldn't take long.” Cloud raised an eyebrow. The words Rufus Shinra and friend in the same sentence just sounded strange.

 

The President offered him a slim, unmarked envelope and Cloud walked to the desk, eyes catching on the gleam of the wood. He would never have pegged Shinra for a love of antiques.

 

Rufus was looking at him like he knew every thought clamouring for attention in his head. Cloud scowled and jerked the folder out of his hands. “Why me? Why not one of your Turks?”

 

“The Turks have other duties. And as you so often state, you’re a delivery boy, right?” Cloud didn’t dignify that with an answer. The air in the lodge felt stifling, and a faint throb of pain signalled the appearance of another irritation.

 

“Cloud?” Rufus was staring at him curiously. Rubbing his temple briefly Cloud answered with an indistinct hum. “You look tense,” Rufus stated softly. “Trouble with the harem?” Cloud threw him a look. Talking to Rufus was like sparring with an adversary far more skilled; Cloud usually avoided the verbal fencing match by saying as little as possible, but he hadn't slept in 48 hours and now a headache the size of Meteor was blooming behind his eyes. He was hardly in the mood for Rufus' so-called rapier wit. "Sorry." The man looked more amused than apologetic.

 

Anyway... "Shouldn't you be recuperating?”

 

“I've spent almost twelve weeks ‘recuperating’. These walls offer little in the way of entertainment.” Great, the man was picking on him because he was bored. Rufus glanced up and regarded Cloud curiously. "Although... Perhaps you could help."

 

“What are you suggesting?”

 

“A game.” Rufus’ cerulean eyes held a bright gleam. After nearly three years knowing him and one of those spent as his enemy, Cloud knew enough not to trust that gleam.

 

“What? What kind of… ‘game’?”

 

“The usual kind.” With a tilt of his head the light cast shadows across Rufus’ face. “A game of secrets and desires; of sugar and spice and everything nice...”

 

“What are you talking about?” Cloud asked finally in exasperation. He was tense and irritable and hardly in the mood for another of Rufus’ word games.

 

"Sex." Cloud was almost twenty-four, but that word coming so blandly from the mouth of the President of Shinra threw him completely.

 

Rufus had called him because he was _horny_?

 

"What?" he asked flatly. On the desk a delicate stone panther leered at him and Cloud regarded it suspiciously. Surely this had to be a new prank of Reno's.

 

But the President was regarding him levelly, with no trace of artifice in his gaze. More than that, Cloud highly doubted Rufus could be persuaded into offering himself as a simple joke, even for Reno. Especially for Reno. Cloud pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose and sighed through his teeth. "You're serious."

 

"When am I not?" Rufus countered with an odd half-smile.

 

"Right." Was he actually _hearing_ this? He lowered his hand and looked at Rufus with no small degree of frustration. He'd expect something like this from Shinra's lackeys, but not the president himself; he'd thought him above such petty games. For some reason he felt strangely disappointed. "You actually want me to sleep with you. To _de-stress_ ," and he unwittingly drawled the last word in disbelief.

 

“Not a fan of casual intimacy...? Then how about we up the stakes?” he asked in a sibilant purr. Rufus seemed to be approaching this as he would a business venture, with carefully laid out objectives and a rational vindication for each one. He almost expected a preliminary report that went into fine and lurid detail on exactly how he was supposed to react. It was very obvious that Shinra had never had to seduce someone into his bed. As the President's son, and then the President himself, Cloud assumed that he’d merely had to bat an eyelid and people were collapsing at his feet. Some part of Cloud’s conscious mind was scowling, wondering how the hell the President could move from discourse to seduction so quickly.

 

“How?” Cloud kept one eye on the door: the entire situation was freaking him out a little.

 

“It’s not about winning the game,” the blond said, leaning back in his chair with a dark smirk. “It‘s about not losing it. Winner gets to set the rules, but if you want a prize, shall we say... anything you can afford to give.” Dark and enthralling, Rufus’ voice washed over him temptingly.

 

At that Cloud’s eyes flew to his. After a second he pressed his lips together. “There’s nothing I want from you, Shinra.”

 

“Back to Shinra again, are we?” Rufus asked in a tone faintly threaded with disappointment. It shouldn’t have, but it made him pause.

 

“Anything in their power?” A single nod was his answer. Cloud glanced away. Anything... He thought of the power Rufus had at his fingertips. The prospect was... daunting, to say the least, but what was it he was so afraid of? Sex was nothing new, and although he hadn't felt overwhelming desire in two years, it was hardly something to balk at. “So how would you lose this game?”

 

On Rufus’ lips formed a small, wicked grin. “The loser is whoever comes first.”

 

Blinking in shock, Cloud had to run that sentence past his mind three times before it registered. “Oh,” he managed weakly.

 

“Quite,” Rufus replied. The blond man was watching him steadily, no sign of what was going on behind those eyes on his face.

 

This whole thing sounded like something Reno would be interested in. He voiced as much, but Rufus smiled and shook his head. “They’re my employees. Contrary to popular opinion, I still have some principles when it comes to sex. If very few,” he added with a sardonic smile.

 

“So instead you want to fuck the delivery boy,” Cloud stated coolly. Rufus sighed with all the weariness of someone who’d fully expected a blunt refusal but was still prepared to sway them otherwise.

 

“Don’t be foolish, Cloud. I have as few options for this kind of… distraction as you do.”

 

Cloud snorted. “I find that hard to believe.”

 

“Oh? You don’t think the reincarnated President of ShinRa would have hundreds of people he could turn to for this without fear they’d take it to the straight to the public? Besides,” he turned back to the desk with a fatalistic shrug. “I don’t get many visitors.”

 

“If that’s supposed to make me feel sorry for you-”

 

“It’s not. I was merely stating a fact.”

 

“And what, exactly, makes you think I’d say yes?”

 

“Boredom. And I doubt you could establish a similar kind of relationship with any of your friends. Why not an enemy? Besides, you’ll gain an intimate knowledge of ShinRa’s weaknesses should you ever need to exploit them.”

 

Cloud’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need to know your weaknesses to destroy you, Rufus.”

 

Rufus lifted an aristocratic eyebrow. “Touché.” The President watched him for a moment. “I can promise not to injure you - to _try_ ,” Rufus conceded as the mercenary made a disbelieving noise. "But the choice is ultimately yours." He looked away. “Obviously you need time to absorb my offer. I’ll see you when you get back,” Rufus stated, dismissal implicit in his tone.

 

Feeling slightly dazed, Cloud backed out of the room. In the open air he leant against the railing and tried to marshal his thoughts. But the only thing he could focus on was the gleam in Rufus' eye and the sudden urge to beat himself over the head with a large stick.

 

 

x

 

Cloud downed another shot with the same single-minded determination people had seen him use against Sephiroth and Kadaj. The fact that he was using it now to get good and drunk might have seemed like a step back to anyone who didn’t know him. Indeed, to the other patrons at the bar he was probably doing a perfect job of underlining the Western stereotype’s aptitude for alcohol. Cloud found that he didn’t really care.

 

Of all the things Cloud had expected when he received another call from Reno, a blatant come-on from his boss was not one of them. If he ever thought about Rufus Shinra, which was a rare act in itself, it was in conjunction with the Turks or Reeve's renovation of Edge. The president had called him infrequently since Kadaj, and always with some job or another.

 

Despite the very likely fact that Shinra was probably restoring his company, the tasks he gave Cloud were mostly small delivery packages, hardly significant, and although Cloud paid little attention to Rufus' actions, he couldn't help but feel like a pawn in his hands.

 

Professor Siu had taken his latest little package with distracted civility. The little bird-like woman seemed as far from a scientist as he could imagine, and even less like someone Rufus would even claim to know, let alone consider a close acquaintance.

 

Unfortunately he had another two days at least before she was done analysing whatever was in that envelope. So, seeing as Rufus had not only paid for his room but given him a near-limitless tab at the bar, he’d decided to get completely trashed.

 

Now he was sitting at the bar listening to some touristy, pseudo-Wutaian string set and staring into the bottom of a sake glass.

 

If Zack was here he’d have been the one pouring the sake. Cloud allowed himself a nostalgic smile, but the memories didn't hurt like they used to.

 

Rufus, at least, wasn’t prone to asking _‘How are you feeling?’_ in that stupid, saccharine way.

 

His life was already screwed up enough as it was, sleeping with his former enemy would hardly be enough to make it worse. In fact, it might make a nice change, heading into whatever-this-was without blinkers, with the implicit knowledge that his partner had already gone through his moment of darkness. At least with Rufus he was in little danger of being betrayed.

 

Cloud gestured to the barman, who was swiftly losing his genial good-humour in favour of a paternal concern Cloud found greatly irritating. If he wanted to get wasted, that was his own problem, thank you very much. If he wanted to get naked and dance on the counter, that was his own fucking choice, and he was sick of people telling him he ought to be doing this, and turning up for things, and acting like the saviour of the whole fucking world. Was it his problem the thrice-damned-world couldn’t keep itself out of trouble?

 

The glass didn’t answer.

 

He signalled the bartender for another drink. Pottering over in a way that didn't seem to require motor function, the man leant towards him confidentially. “Now, don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Cloud snarled at him. “Sure, sure, coming right up.”

 

Burning a path down his throat, the liquid settled warmly in his stomach. Cloud had to admit to himself that the thought of that caramel voice hissing something filthy in his ear was doing strange things to his insides.

 

Cloud put the glass back down and sighed. He was obviously spending too much time working for ShinRa; Reno’s habits were beginning to rub off on him.

 

There was nothing left to do but confront him.

 

 

x

 

 

As soon as he stepped through the door into the Healin Lodge, every reason for walking away rose to the front of his mind. Cloud glanced around. At the moment he couldn’t quite remember what he was doing here.

 

A movement to the right caught his eye and he saw Rufus leaning casually on his desk. In the late afternoon light he looked almost peaceful and Cloud stepped forward until he stood opposite.

 

“… I wasn’t sure if you’d come back,” Rufus admitted after a few uncomfortable seconds.

 

Silence reigned for a moment longer and Cloud had to ask the question that had been weighing on his mind for the past two days. “Why me?”

 

“Why not?” Rufus shrugged. Doubt must have been reflected in Cloud’s eyes because he sighed and went on. “This is entirely voluntary.” Rufus' words made it sound like a surgical procedure. "The question should be; do you want this?" Cloud hesitated. He had every right and more to just leave, but his muscles were frozen stiff. It'd been so long since he'd had that kind of contact with anyone, and something inside him was craving human touch.

 

When he looked up, the President was standing centimetres away, his one uncovered eye glittering. Gentle fingers touched his jaw and Cloud stared at him. "Well?" he asked softly. _Fight or flight_ , Cloud thought absently. Behind him the solid metal door beckoned. The only thing preventing him from walking out right then was the haunting promise of release.

 

"I..." Cloud hesitated. What _did_ he want? In comparison to the light in that cerulean eye, Cloud's life stretched on in dull monotone.

 

“Cloud.” Rufus drew his name out, turned it into a caress.

 

Deciding his common sense had taken a momentary holiday, Cloud leaned forward and kissed him. Instantly those fingers slid around his neck and held him there. Rufus kissed him back with fervour. He sucked Cloud's lower lip into his mouth, laving it softly with his tongue. Submitting momentarily, Cloud tilted his head and parted his lips. Quickly taking advantage, Rufus slipped inside as he gripped Cloud's hips to pull him closer.

 

A tiny moan escaped him. Rufus must have been taking advantage of those presidential benefits, because his tongue was wrapping around Cloud’s with dextrous skill. Eyes half-closed Cloud concentrated on the complicated duel that was arising between their mouths. He pressed his tongue against Rufus', following it until he was gliding against the other man's teeth. Slowly and lethargically his heart began beating faster as he tasted alcohol and spice. He tugged on Rufus' bottom lip and kissed him again, using teeth and tongue.

 

Rufus pressed a line of open-mouthed kisses along his jaw, tracing the line with his tongue. He sucked Cloud's earlobe into his mouth, curling his tongue around the small wolf earring. The action surprised him and Cloud couldn't suppress a whimper. Drawing away, Rufus didn't comment, instead dropping a light kiss on the metal. For some reason, Cloud felt oddly touched. Ignoring his undulating emotions Cloud snuck a hand under Rufus' shirt and rested it against the bare curve of his spine. The other man hummed contentedly and settled on a point at the base of Cloud's neck, sucking until Cloud thought he'd bruise. Shivers ran through him from the contact.

 

Rufus’ hand slid up his arm, touched the ribbon there fleetingly and moved on. Cloud managed a slight, sardonic grin: he had rather more unarguable issues than the next person. The fact that Rufus hadn't yet brought them up probably meant that he was at least sincere in this. Or that he was waiting until he win the game, a distant part of Cloud's mind reminded.

 

Rufus began unbuckling his armour. Cloud didn’t help, merely stood there and let him. Doubts and reservations began rushing through his head so fast he couldn’t focus. Rufus’ hand grazed his left nipple and he flinched.

 

“Cloud.” He glanced up into Rufus’ face (irritation as he begrudged him those extra few inches: it had been so much more satisfying when the man was in a chair), seeing there an emotion he couldn’t place. “I’m not going to push you.” He removed Cloud’s pauldron and stepped back to lay it on the desk. “What happened to all that frustration?” he asked teasingly.

 

Cloud scowled at him. With swift movements Cloud undid the harness strapped to his back and let it fall, wincing a little when Vigilante hit the ground with a clang. The sound made Rufus raise an eyebrow and Cloud practically growled. He stalked towards the president. “I have plenty of frustration.”

 

“So I can see,” Rufus replied smoothly as Cloud began attacking his jacket. Chuckling under his breath, Rufus helped to slide out of his clothes. "Wait," he said laughingly, half out of his shirt with his trousers slipping over his hips. Cloud arched back and looked at him questioningly. "I think the bed might be more suited for this." Cloud flushed as he realised that he was pinning the President to his lovely walnut desk.

 

He backed away until his foot hit Vigilante. The presence of his sword flashed a reminder of all that it stood for, and after a second's hesitation, Cloud nudged it away with the toe of his boot. Glancing at him, amused, Rufus dropped his shirt on the floor.

 

_All that money and prestige, and he can't afford three rooms?_ came the vague thought as he went to stand beside Rufus and the bed. To forestall a sudden shy blush, Cloud shucked his ribbed sweater-vest and boots and stood there in his combat trousers. In a similar state of undress, Rufus moved forward and stood against him, skin to skin. Cloud drew in a sharp breath. The setting sun cast lengthening shadows through the room, and one fell across Rufus’ shoulders, hiding the man in darkness. Closing his eyes, Cloud felt Rufus' touch skim his waist and hip and stroke a path from the base of his spine to his shoulder blade. Soft lips caressed his collarbone, the sensation heightened in the darkness. Cloud focussed only on that and tried to forget his inhibitions. Rufus’ mouth, warm and wet, encircled a nipple and wrung a sound from the back of Cloud’s throat. He opened his eyes to see Rufus smile, his expression satisfied and slightly earnest. Strands of ash blond hair fell across his one visible eye as Rufus flicked his tongue against Cloud's nipple, already dark with blood. Pulse beating quickly in his throat his body reacted swiftly and with a heat that surprised him. It was obvious that Rufus had a great deal of experience at this.

 

Winding his fingers through Rufus’ hair Cloud pulled him upright and kissed him, open-mouthed but no tongue. His eyelashes fluttered as Rufus scraped his nails across the muscles of his abdomen. Rufus dipped a hand into his pants and Cloud realised, startled, that he was already hard and aching. Long fingers gripped him tightly and Cloud groaned into his mouth.

 

Instantly Rufus pulled his hand away. “Cloud.” Rufus’ voice had turned husky and sinful and sent shudders of arousal through him. “On the bed.” For once perfectly happy to obey him, Cloud lay gingerly on the silk sheets.

 

Rufus knelt beside him, cupping the back of his knee with one hand as the other grasped his cock. Showing an aptitude he couldn’t have gained single-handed, Rufus twisted his hand around Cloud’s cock, stroking and massaging the shaft as his thumb dipped into the silt in its head. Pleasure shot through him and Cloud moaned and thrust his hips. The blond amused himself by licking and nibbling Cloud’s neck, an action which sent an arc of heat straight to his groin.

 

It was as if Rufus knew every sensitive point on his body. _This isn’t fair._ He didn't know he'd voiced the thought until Rufus looked up. His fingers were still wrapped around Cloud’s cock and his lips were a little swollen. Still, he raised an eyebrow and managed to look mocking.

 

“Too much? Or did you forget the game?” Rufus considered him briefly and then added roughly, “If it’s leverage you want, you can call me daddy.”

 

Cloud jerked back, his face twisting. “You-”

 

“You were the one who wanted to even the playing field,” Rufus shrugged, and he retreated to Cloud’s collarbone. “Don’t use it if you don’t feel you need to.”

 

He wouldn’t, Cloud vowed, disgusted by the idea. The steady manipulation of his cock was making stars explode in his loins, but he tried to concentrate, tried to think of each action as a chess move designed to bring him closer to the prize.

 

Pushing Rufus’ shoulder, Cloud rolled him onto his back and got to work divesting him of the last of his clothes. Rufus laughed and wriggled out of the pale trousers, laying back with an interested expression and an impressive erection.

 

_This is a stupid, stupid idea,_ Cloud thought, but he leant down to place a kiss on Rufus’ neck. His tongue delved into the hollow of his throat and Cloud sucked on the skin there. With a pleased sound he let go to see it had turned a vivid red. Smirking, he licked Rufus’ collarbone and began worrying the skin like a dog. A soft mouth nipped at his ear in a silent urge to hurry and Cloud growled and sank his teeth into a pale shoulder. Rufus made a soft, startled noise and Cloud relented, lapping at the injured skin apologetically. The taller body reverberated with a low chuckle.

 

Cloud allowed his mouth to lead him south over Rufus’ chest until he caught a small nipple. There he paused, scraping his teeth against the nub and licking it so it hardened in his mouth. Only when Rufus gave a quiet moan did Cloud let it go. He spared a brief kiss for the other nipple but brushed lower against Rufus’ trembling abdomen. Here the hard edge of defined musculature caught him by surprise, but Cloud supposed that even a President had to keep in shape if he wanted to survive. His tongue dipped into Rufus’ bellybutton and the other man's cock jerked, leaving a wet trail under his chin. His breaths sounded loud in the room, interrupted only by an occasional wet sound as Cloud explored the rigid curve of his hip. He chased the indent between Rufus’ stomach and thigh and his cheek bumped Rufus’ cock.

 

Faltering, Cloud glanced at the flushed organ nestled in a bed of pale gold. Cautiously he nipped at the base and was rewarded with an audible swallow. Feeling more confident, Cloud ran his tongue up the thick vein along the underside. He pressed his teeth lightly against the defined head and curled his tongue around it. Rufus growled quietly and threaded his fingers through Cloud’s hair. Leaning into the touch, Cloud went lower and mouthed one of Rufus' balls. Keeping an eye on the quick rise and fall of Rufus’ chest Cloud carefully rolled it over his tongue before letting go. He grasped the base of Rufus’ cock in one hand and kissed the head. Parting his lips over it he buried his tongue in the slit and slid his mouth along as much of it as he could, the flesh a heavy weight on his tongue. Cloud veered away from the recognition that he was blowing the President of Shinra and tried to concentrate on making him come.

 

Rufus ran his fingers along Cloud’s hollowed cheek and murmured something under his breath. Exhaling through his nose, Cloud pulled away and then sank back down, slowly building a rhythm that let him breathe. As it glided over his lips Cloud turned his head so that the tip struck the soft inner lining of his cheek.

 

Rufus made a harsh noise and his fingers tightened in Cloud’s hair. "Stop." He jerked on the wheat-coloured strands. “Enough, Cloud, stop.” Cloud relented and let the organ fall out of his mouth with a soft pop. Rufus brought him back up and kissed him hungrily. “I want to be inside you,” he murmured into Cloud’s mouth. Uttered in guttural tones the words triggered an answering throb from his cock and Cloud could do nothing but moan.

 

Rufus rolled them over and settled his body between Cloud’s legs. Apparently, Rufus found his nipples enthralling, as he leant over them again, his breath ghosting over the hard nub. Cloud arched against the sensation and glanced at Rufus from under his eyelashes.

 

"We could be brothers, you know," the man said casually.

 

Shock temporarily held him still, but a fleeting surge of humour almost made him laugh. Stubbornly he quelled it. "What is _wrong_ with you?" Cloud asked but even he could hear the laugh rippling along the edges of his words. All those battles must finally be taking their toll, because he felt curiously light and even a little blasé. Or perhaps it was the unreality of the situation: that Rufus Shinra was lying against him nose to chest with an apparent fetish for word games and incest.

 

The man chuckled in reply. Rufus placed a kiss on the wing edge of his pelvic bone, and a fleeting thought wondered why he was being so tender. Then Rufus ran a hand down the length of Cloud’s cock and back again, destroying any coherent thought in his mind.

 

One of his legs lay slack against the sheets, and Rufus lifted the other until it rested over his shoulder. Cloud fought back the sense of exposure the position elicited. That hand slid lower and Cloud felt slight pressure against the opening between his cheeks. He tensed.

 

"Cloud." Rufus knelt between his thighs, tracing patterns on the backs of his calves. "You don't have to do this: we can stop." Cloud stared at him in disbelief. _He goes to all this effort to get me to say one word, finally gets me under him, hard as a fucking rock, and_ now _he wants to stop?_

 

“No, I...” He couldn’t believe what he was saying. “I want this.”

 

Rufus’ finger pressed harder against him and abruptly he was reminded of the object of this game. He couldn’t lose to Rufus Shinra.

 

Cloud arched his hips against Rufus’ hand. _Means to an end,_ he thought to himself. "Nn, yes, daddy," he whispered. Rufus froze. Cloud allowed himself a small smirk. Who knew Rufus could be so easy to manipulate? " _Please_ , daddy." Rufus gave a long, shivery exhalation that ghosted over Cloud's hipbone.

 

"Cloud..." The man breathed in deeply and Cloud felt smugly satisfied as he realised that he’d put a dent in that impeccable control. Giving a little shiver he spread his legs and whispered his mantra.

 

Rufus slipped a finger inside him slick with something Cloud didn't want to think about. Consciously relaxing, Cloud felt his entire body focus on that single digit. He hadn't meant to go this far; intended to draw the line at something less intimate, but something about Rufus' steely expression made him want to see it crack.

 

“Cloud.” A smirk glimmered in Rufus’ eyes as he grazed his lips over Cloud’s thigh. Another finger stretched his insides and Cloud groaned. “Tell me what you want.” His voice was almost distorted with lust and Cloud whimpered.

 

Trembling, he knew that his own control was in tatters. “Fuck me. Please.”

 

“Please, _what_?”

 

Cloud shut his eyes tightly. “Daddy.” Although he tried not to let himself hear it, the word sent a thrill of unexpected arousal through him. “Fuck me, daddy.” Rufus’ lips pulled back from his teeth in a snarl. _Shiva what had he unleashed?_

 

With quick movements Rufus pulled his fingers free and Cloud felt the thick head of his cock slide between his legs. Cloud twisted the sheets between his fingers and lifted his hips, pleading silently with his eyes. Rufus shifted and the head of his cock breached the ring. A second thrust and he was buried so deeply inside him Cloud thought they’d fused together. They stayed like that for an indefinite moment as Cloud panted and waited to adjust. He could feel every inch of Rufus inside him.

 

After a second Rufus rolled his hips experimentally. Cloud jerked and made a small sound in the back of his throat. Rufus did it again and then gradually pulled out. His cock grated achingly slow over Cloud’s flesh before he thrust back in.

 

Cloud bit his lip hard against an exclamation and something dark flashed in Rufus' gaze. Teeth bit savagely into his waist and he cried out, his head tossing against the pillows. “God...”

 

“Cloud,” Rufus hissed in his ear. He leant his weight on one hand beside Cloud’s shoulder and gripped his ass with the other, making long, deep thrusts. Cloud wrapped his leg around the president’s hip, every thrust sending a sharp jolt of ecstasy through him.

 

Arching into the movements, Cloud buried his face in the pillow. His cock lay rigid and trembling against his belly. Rufus snapped his hips and Cloud groaned.

 

The other man grasped his thigh with one hand, leg pressed back against his stomach. Glazed eyes looked up to see Rufus leaning over him like some kind of demonic summon. His one vivid eye blazed against the black eye patch, making Rufus look commanding, frightening, and every inch the man who was once feared throughout the world.

 

There was no hesitation now. “ _Harder_ ,” he hissed and Rufus turned his head so his mouth brushed against Cloud’s jaw.

 

“Harder... what?” he asked, voice ragged in his ear.

 

Cloud scowled at him. “Bastard,” he managed, but Rufus had slowed and was waiting patiently. Cloud gripped his shoulder, his nails digging into pale skin. He hoped it hurt. “ _Please_ , daddy, _fuck me harder_.”

 

Oh god, that _word_.

 

Abandoning his composure Rufus spread his legs and fucked him in short, hard thrusts. Beneath him Cloud writhed, all thoughts of restraint forgotten in waves of pleasure.

 

Rufus mouthed at his bottom lip in a faint parody of a kiss. Parting his lips Cloud could only pant against him. “Cloud,” Rufus whispered, and took him in his hand. “Daddy’s so _proud_ of you.”

 

Shuddering, Cloud’s control shattered and he came hard. White obscured his vision and distantly he felt the pulse of heat and moisture that meant Rufus had come.

 

Eyes closed Cloud lay for a moment against the tangled sheets, panting lightly as he drew the wandering threads of his consciousness together. With every breath he could feel Rufus against him, inside him, his breath on Cloud’s chest. Even as his mind made the connection he shied away from analysing it. His legs were still tangled around Rufus’ hips; god _what had he been thinking_?

 

The reminder made him flinch. Cloud was very well aware that instead of beating ShinRa at his own game he’d somehow responded to the word and adopted Rufus’ fetish as his own. It wasn't an incest kink, he realised belatedly; it was about power. Total authority. And if that wasn’t the proverbial cherry on top of the psychologist’s wet dream that was his life…

 

But the pressure that had been beating against his skin was gone, and his body felt almost boneless in its relief. Much as he hated to admit it, Rufus had been right.

 

Even as that thought crossed his mind, the man in question moved, disentangling himself from Cloud’s limbs and backing away. Cloud couldn’t suppress a shiver as he pulled out. He kept his eyes closed as the bed shifted, his senses on high alert. Like a phantom touch he could still feel the silk of his skin against his own.

 

Silence thickened the air until it seemed to weigh him down. Cloud remembered Vigilante on the floor across the room and Tifa at the bar getting ready to close.

 

“Cloud.” He opened his eyes and Rufus was at his side with barely an inch between them. That one visible eye flashed with something Cloud couldn’t quite identify. He opened his mouth to speak and then Cloud realised what he wanted. Anything, he’d said.

 

“What do you want, then?" he asked grudgingly. "You won,” Cloud prompted when Rufus didn’t immediately reply. The emotion in his eye died and Rufus was once again the impersonal diplomat.

 

“... Why do you have a lifetime pass to the Golden Saucer?” Cloud blinked at him.

 

“That’s it?” The other man nodded, smirking at his surprise. “I...” The question had thrown him. Hesitantly, he wondered how much to say and how much Rufus already knew. “We went through after Sephiroth. Tifa thought we might need to come back someday, and... we had the gil.” He shrugged.

 

“ _Have_ you used it since then?”

 

“Yes.” Cloud regarded him narrowly but Rufus merely looked innocent. “... That all?” At the man’s nod Cloud sat up, wincing as his ass throbbed painfully. He gave his chest and stomach a perfunctory wipe with the sheet before he stood. As soon as he did so he felt a slow trickle down his thighs that sent a hot flush of humiliation through him.

 

“You can use my shower,” Rufus suggested behind him and Cloud flinched. He should have felt nothing - had expected to - but instead he’d come out feeling awkward and used. Damn it, this is exactly what he'd wanted to avoid.

 

“No. Thanks.” He tugged on his trousers and reached for his vest, needing the comfortable security the clothes provided.

 

“Then I’ll call you about the next game.”

 

Cloud picked up Vigilante and glanced back in surprise. “I thought this was a one time deal.”

 

That expressive eye gleamed. “To the victor goes the spoils..." At Cloud’s hesitation his eyebrows rose. “Not up to another round?”

 

Cloud glared at him. “Fine.” He turned back to the door and shrugged into his elaborate weapon harness.

 

“Cloud-” A rustle behind him as Rufus stood.

 

“This changes nothing,” he hissed, not wanting to hear whatever cheap platitudes the President kept on tap for his one night stands.

 

“... As you wish. I’ll have Reno contact you with the mission details."

 

_Mission now, is it?_ “You know where I am.” Running a quick hand through his tousled hair, Cloud walked out. He didn’t look back.

 

 

x

 

 

 

Comments and concrit welcome.


	2. Call Me Daddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He’s shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration has finally bitten me. This is... short. The game ended, and there was nothing left to say just yet. More plot-like events will begin to unfold soon, however.

It had been almost two months since that night, and Cloud had started to hope that Rufus was bluffing when he‘d said there‘d be another time.

 

He should be so lucky.

 

The first thing he’d done afterwards was go straight to the nearest dive and drink himself under the table - something that could easily become a habit if he kept associating with Shinra. Riding Fenrir back to Edge had been a nightmare: every time he moved he felt the phantom presence of Rufus’ cock inside him.

 

What in Hell had triggered it? Rufus _Shinra_ of all people! Cloud ran a hand through his hair and sank lower in his seat. In front of him a glass of sake glinted temptingly in the low light. _I don't want to know_ , Cloud assured himself. Still, he couldn't help but wonder what had instigated Rufus' little game. There had to be more to it than simple boredom - there was always more when it came to Rufus Shinra - but Cloud had very little, these days, that he would want.

 

_Except what you’ve already given_ , muttered a little voice in the back of his head. Cloud tossed back the sake in one gulp. Well, if it was his body Rufus was after, then he wouldn’t be calling again, and Cloud would be free to go about his life in peace. Grumbling inaudibly, he poked at the empty glass. Behind the bar, Tifa eyed him warily.

 

_Why does that prospect not seem as attractive as it did two months ago?_

 

This wasn’t the first time since then that he’d spent a night thinking about it, about what he’d done, what he’d said.

 

That _word_.

 

Cloud flinched as he remembered how he’d begged. Sternly, he pushed the glass away and leaned on the bar. “Anything new?” he asked Tifa.

 

She picked up another glass to dry and shook her head. “Nope. Phone hasn’t rung in the last couple of hours you’ve been sitting there, anyway,” she said, throwing him a wry glance. Taking away his glass, she stood in front of him. “Are you going to stick around for a bit?” she asked curiously. “Marlene will be back soon, I imagine. She’ll be glad to see you.”

 

Cloud shrugged. He didn’t have anything better to do, and it would be nice to see the girl again. “Sure.” A thought made him pause. “Denzel isn’t still following her around, is he?” The kid was nice, and it’d been cute at first, but cute was starting to get old.

 

Tifa laughed. “Relax, Cloud, they’re practically siblings. It’s no more than that crush he had on you last year.”

 

“Mm. It’s still not right.” He discreetly ignored her last sentence. “I’m sure Barrett will have something to say about it,” he muttered.

 

“Barrett has something to say about everything,” replied Tifa calmly. The swing of the door made her look up. “Welcome to Se…” She stilled, trailing off. Instantly Cloud was alert. Two men entered the bar - he could tell that much from their heavy footsteps. Hesitantly, he turned on the stool to regard them.

 

Shinra’s two grunts stood there, confirming his suspicions. Rude tilted his sunglasses at him and nodded once. Cloud returned the nod with unease: if the Turks were here, it could only mean one thing.

 

Rufus had a new game.

 

Desperately ignoring the thrill that thought sent through him, Cloud looked at the red-headed Turk who was lounging over the bar. Reno’s glance was unusually dark and he blinked. _What’s his problem?_ The man ignored him and started rifling through the bottles behind the bar. Tifa slapped his hand away.

 

"Boss wants you to pick up another shipment," the taller Turk muttered, hands behind his back and conspicuously not glancing Tifa's way.

 

"Rufus wants me to deliver something,” Cloud repeated. His tone implied that he doubted the prospect.

 

"Sure." Blue eyes flickered up at him and Reno's words were almost acidic. "Why not?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. The foul-mouthed grunt seemed more than usually belligerent. Reno evaded Tifa lithely and pulled a bottle of something alcoholic from behind the bar. The woman put her hands on her hips and scowled at him.

 

“Rude, control your partner or get him off my property,” she spat. The dark-skinned Turk immediately tugged the bottle away and handed it back with a word of apology. Tifa looked mollified but Reno went sullen.

 

“Oh sure, when _Tifa_ wants you do something…” he mumbled. Rude glared at him. Reno stared up at the ceiling and started picking something out of his teeth.

 

“What does he want me to deliver?” asked Cloud.

 

Reno paid him no heed and Rude shrugged. “Just said a delivery.” He took a seat on one of the stools beside Cloud. Tifa crossed her arms and leant on the bar in front of him - Rude seemed quite pleased with the view. “We’re escorting Reeve to Junon, so we can’t do it.” Cloud barely restrained a snort. As if Reeve didn’t have enough security himself, without whatever supplements Rufus could provide. Rude glanced at him. “He’s waiting at the Lodge.”

 

Wordlessly Cloud got to his feet. It looked like the Turks were settling in for the long haul, so he merely nodded at Tifa and let himself out the back.

 

Fenrir was waiting for him, shiny and well-oiled, as always. Feeling that familiar pressure under his skin, Cloud realised it had been building for the past couple of weeks. As he straddled the motorcycle, he wondered if another… _game_ with Rufus would relieve him of it.

 

It didn’t take long to get to the Lodge. As he turned down the road towards it, he made a mental note to visit the ranch soon. In the daylight the mountains looked beautiful, but Cloud spared them little thought. The dark steel door drew all his attention.

 

Last time he’d been swept along in the wake of Shinra’s seduction. With Rufus, he seemed to be continually off balance and unable to right himself. _This time, it'll be different_ , he vowed. He wasn’t going to back down.

 

Inside, the first room was, again, empty, and Cloud walked cautiously into the second. Rufus was sitting in a chair beneath the window, opposite a small table and another chair. A chess set was laid out in front of him.

 

“Cloud.” Rufus watched as he entered. At the sight of the president, Cloud’s memories came rushing to the fore. The man’s words, his body, his touch… Hastily Cloud pushed them back and concentrated. He had to stay focussed.

 

After a minute of simple silence Rufus sat back and nodded at the chair opposite him. "Won't you join me?" he said.

 

Hesitantly Cloud sat down, propping Vigilante against the chair. The chess board was already half way through a game. Black was closest to him, so he rescued a bishop who looked to be in serious danger.

 

The action sparked something in Rufus’ eyes, and Cloud frowned. “You’ve taken the patch off?” he asked, his voice sounding loud in the relative calm.

 

“Yes,” Rufus answered, sliding forward his queen. “My eye healed quickly - everything did - the patch was mostly a precaution enforced by Tseng and my doctor.”

 

Cloud nodded, although he was only distantly aware of what Rufus had said. He himself had been healed in seconds. He considered the board for a moment. “Why did you call me again?” he asked slowly, and castled his king. “What exactly do you want?”

 

"It's not about sex," Rufus answered carefully, placing his knight in a direct line to challenge Cloud's rook. The blond man raised an eyebrow. A half smile formed on Rufus’ lips. "Alright, it’s _mostly_ not about sex: it's about control. I suppose… I want to test mine." The president didn’t look at him as he spoke.

 

_That famed control… why would he want to test it on me?_ Cloud took Rufus’ knight with his queen. It certainly made more sense than the theories that had been circling inside Cloud’s mind. With some degree of shock he found he was actually quite comfortable, sitting across from Rufus Shinra and playing chess. The thought made him shift uneasily. “And that delivery,” he said, keen to talk about something harmless.

 

“I do have one for you, actually.” Rufus gestured towards the walnut desk. He picked up his own queen and moved it directly in line with Cloud’s black king. His blue eyes flickered up to catch Cloud’s expression, but he got up without a word. _Checkmate_ , Cloud noted with a little frown. Dismissing his irritation, he followed Rufus silently over to the desk. The man rummaged through his drawers until he pulled out a small, cylindrical tube and set it on the wood. Briefly, Cloud wondered what it contained. “Professor Siu again. I’ve booked the same room for you, and extended your bar tab.” Cloud flushed. _No secrets from Rufus Shinra, not when he’s paying your way_. Rufus just looked amused. He regarded Cloud closely, and the ex-SOLDIER felt his gaze heat. A frisson of anticipation ran down his spine. He too watched the other man.

 

“Well?” he asked softly. Rufus had won the first game - he hadn’t forgotten - so he assumed Rufus would set the rules for this one as well. “What do you want to do?”

 

Hands pale against the dark wood, Rufus leaned forward with dark eyes. "I want to play," he said. Cloud shivered.

 

“How?” An unwelcome thought struck him. “If you’re talking about edge play…”

 

“Don’t worry, I don’t find bloodshed attractive,” said Rufus. “But I have other kinks.” Cloud was well aware of that. The president stepped up beside him and turned him towards the bed. “You’re tense,” he murmured, obviously surprised at the fact. Now that he’d mentioned it, Cloud realised his muscles were in knots. Consciously he forced himself to calm down. "Relax, kitten,” the man added. “I only want to watch." Cloud bristled at the endearment.

 

"Watch me do what?" he asked sharply.

 

Rufus looked at him. "What do you think?"

 

_Oh_. They stood near the bed, and he stared at it cagily. The next word escaped his mouth unbidden. “Really?”

 

Rufus blinked, then chuckled. “Is that so hard to believe?” His tone sounded almost gentle. When Cloud didn’t answer he moved back. “Take off your clothes. Slowly.” That caramel voice had dropped a level, and Cloud was reminded of its power. Suddenly he was glad he’d had that drink.

 

The room seemed huge, a massive expanse of space dwarfing the two of them. Only Rufus’ careful, watchful gaze anchored him to reality, but he couldn’t meet those eyes. As he - slowly, ever so slowly - slithered out of his clothes, he felt the air against his skin like another layer. His heart was beating so loudly he could hear it throbbing in his ears. Rufus wasn’t making any protest, so he left the clothes where they were.

 

_Slowly_ , he reminded himself. _Do not think_. It was easier not to think, to calm his mind as he bared his body. He unzipped his ribbed vest and let it fall. Finally he stood there in only his skin.

 

“Good,” murmured Rufus. His voice startled Cloud. The floor suddenly came into focus again. Blond bangs fell over his eyes and he looked up, shielded by them, at Rufus. The man was scanning his body. A shiver swept over his skin and Rufus followed it with hungry eyes. “On the bed, please, Cloud.”

 

Cloud backed towards the bed and Rufus followed, prowling after him. He felt the smooth silk against the back of his knees, a tantalising pressure against his skin. He sat down, but Rufus was still moving forward, so he slid back towards the centre of the bed. Rufus stopped by the edge, a shadowy presence just glinting in the low light. Cloud knelt gingerly on the slippery sheets (wondering if Rufus always slept so decadently) and rested his hands beside his feet.

 

His breathing sounded loud in the quiet of the room, and Cloud realised suddenly that Rufus was waiting for him to start. _Shit_ , he thought. _What the hell do I do?_

 

"You look a little uncomfortable." Rufus’ voice was filled with unholy amusement. Cloud snorted. He was stark naked on the bed of a former enemy, about to make himself cum. Uncomfortable didn't quite cut it. Rufus, the bastard, looked as cool and unconcerned as if he were at a board meeting.

 

“I don’t usually do this with an audience,” Cloud muttered, glancing away.

 

“I thought this would be easier,” Rufus said softly. “It… it seemed a little too soon to have you blind and bound with those lips around my cock." It took a Herculean effort not to react to that, but a bolt of heat lanced down his spine.

 

"You want to see me... like that?" asked Cloud hesitantly.

 

"Oh yes," replied Rufus. "Fully clothed, perhaps, your hands behind your back and on your knees in front of me. You have a mouth made for sucking cock, Cloud." Cloud shuddered. “Better. Touch yourself, Cloud.”

 

He raised a hand to his chest, a little unsure. The skin of his hand felt rough against his chest. A small scar ran over two his ribs. He traced it with one finger, sending a ticklish tremor down his spine. Rufus moved a little closer, his eyes gleaming and his mouth parted.

 

Cloud had to close his eyes, had to shut out the image of Rufus standing over him with his lips curled like that. Slowly he stroked a hand over his chest, concentrating only on the sensation. Everything else he blocked from his mind.

 

The touch was pleasant, but he could feel the empty air and foreign sheets, and his mind kept swinging between Rufus, standing over him, his sword Vigilante, and the name Shinra, printed on the walls. Rufus, sword, Shinra.

 

_Oh god, I can’t do it._

 

"Cloud." He twitched at the sound of his name - couldn't help it. "Cloud, stop thinking." _I'm trying_ , he wanted to snap back, _but you're not making it very easy_.

 

“ _Cloud_.” Something touched his cheek and Cloud’s eyes snapped open. Rufus was sitting beside him, frowning. “Look at me, Cloud,” he said firmly. “Only me.” The man placed his hand over Cloud’s own, and slid it up his chest, placed it against Cloud’s lips. “Start here,” he whispered. “And go slow.”

 

A little sound escaped him as Rufus took his hand away. He kept watching, though, and Cloud didn’t take his eyes from Rufus’. Slowly, following his orders, Cloud touched his mouth. He felt the softness of his lips, and then the yielding wet warmth of his tongue as he opened his mouth.

 

“Good,” breathed Rufus, as if unwilling to break some silent spell. “More.” That hunger was back in his eyes. Cloud felt the same need echo through his body, and he gave into it.

 

When his fingers were wet, he trailed them down his neck, caressing the arch of his throat. Above his chest, his collarbones made deep, fascinating hollows. Even as he reached his nipples they were tightening, rigid in anticipation of his touch. He squeezed them lightly, gasping as he did, and in answer to his pleasure he felt himself stiffen against his thigh. Something flickered in Rufus’ eyes. Cloud leant back against the pillows, _wanting_ him to see.

 

His stomach fluttered beneath his touch but Cloud skimmed over it, eager, now, to feel that aching ecstasy. At first he touched himself gently, running his fingers down the length of his cock. “Yes,” Rufus sighed, leaning next to him, his breath hot on Cloud’s cheek, and Cloud wrapped a hand around his cock.

 

“ _Yes_ ," he answered, moaning as he drew his hand over the sensitive head. He began to stroke himself more quickly, panting as the pleasure grew. Twisting his hand, he squeezed the trembling shaft. He had to close his eyes - had to - and pressed himself into the bed.

 

“Yes, Cloud,” Rufus groaned in his ear. “That’s good, that’s _perfect_. Just like that.”

 

Pleasure rushed though his blood and Cloud tossed his head back. He rode the ecstasy with fierce, rapid thrusts. Finally it faded away, leaving soothed, drained muscles in its wake.

 

A warm gust of air hit his cheek and Cloud dragged himself away from the tempting embrace of sleep. Rufus still lay beside him.

 

“Cloud…” The other man reached for him. “That was…”

 

“Good enough?” Cloud asked wearily. He got up without waiting for an answer. For the second time he found himself picking his clothes up from Rufus Shinra’s floor. “I’ll leave for Wutai immediately.” When he next turned to look at Rufus, the man was standing with his back to him.

 

“Very well,” Shinra answered, his voice curt. “The next game is mine - that will be my reward.”

 

Cloud grunted, but didn’t protest. He needed to get away. The former president offered no more pleasantries, so Cloud left swiftly. In the cool air outside he wanted to pause, to reflect, but he couldn’t allow himself to think. Straddling Fenrir, he tucked the small tube into one of his pockets. A long ride lay ahead of him, and he had plenty of time to think.

 

　

x

 

 

 

Concrit is always welcome.

 

　

 

 

Previous:

 

[Call Me Daddy](http://dar-ota.livejournal.com/24401.html#cutid1)

 

 

　

　


	3. God, Give Me A Geisha

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Inspiration! You love me, don't you?

Cloud leant on the sink and stared at himself in the mirror. No matter which way he looked, he couldn’t see what had attracted Rufus. His lips were too full and his eyelashes too long. Years of fighting and training had honed his body, made his muscles sleek and wired, but it was still short and stocky. His hair wouldn’t do anything except stick up in places and lie flat in others. He looked… _weird_ , Cloud thought, a self-deprecating twist to his mouth. Even knowing how Aerith had felt, and then Tifa, Cloud still only saw the SOLDIER that he’d tried so hard to become. He didn’t understand what they saw in him.

 

_And the President…_

 

Two days ago Cloud had received a call from Reno (the bastard had to get his pet Turks to do his dirty work for him) who’d stated in a voice that kept cracking with laughter that Cloud had three days to find a dress and get his ass up to the Lodge.

 

And then came the sentence that had Cloud alternately scowling with rage and blushing in shame.

 

_"Oh, one more thing, yo." Reno snickered into the PHS. "He wants the whole shebang. Just like Corneo, yeah?"_

 

Faced with uproarious laughter on the other end Cloud had hung up without a word. The most pressing issue had to be dealt with first.

 

How in hell had Rufus found out about Corneo?

 

No one knew that he had infiltrated the Corneo mansion. At least… He’d assumed that no one knew, but they’d ended up in the dungeon at the end, so it was possible - _possible_ \- that Corneo had told someone, or one of his ugly henchman had repeated the tale. Of course, everything that happened in Midgar somehow came to Rufus’ ears.

 

Cloud swore. _Son of a bitch._

 

The challenge hung in the air like lead. Cloud knew that he wouldn’t - _couldn’t_ \- refuse it, but still he tried to dismiss the memory.

 

It wouldn’t go. Rufus was waiting for him, eager for him to turn up like one of those painted whores at the Honeybee Inn. "What the hell is his problem?" he muttered. The more he thought about it, the more aggravated he became. That last time he’d left quickly. He couldn’t stay there, weak and vulnerable under the other man’s gaze. Even the thought of seeing him again now made Cloud hesitate.

 

If he didn’t reply - if he _ran_ \- Rufus would win. He knew it, even though it wasn’t a real game, even though it didn’t _mean_ anything; Rufus would still _win_. Cloud hated that thought more than anything else.

 

He would go, and this time _Cloud_ would be the one to pick the next game.

 

x

 

Rufus had shed his layers; reduced to plain slacks and a soft black turtleneck. The room was dim in the light from the afternoon sun. Soon it would be dark.

 

"You look… better," Cloud attempted lamely, feeling rather inadequate. In this wide room, empty save for the two of them, he was struggling for words. This wasn’t like him. _It’s Rufus Shinra_ , he reminded himself, and the nervous feeling dissipated. _This is nothing new._

 

"You’re here," said Rufus, eyes narrowing. "Good."

 

"Your Turks called me." Cloud strode around the room, touching the surface of the desk aimlessly. "They passed on your _message_ ," he added sardonically.

 

"And?" Cloud threw him a glance and didn’t answer. "You know what I want."

 

"Yes, I know," said Cloud, a little bitter. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Rufus was punishing him for something.

 

"And you’ll stay until dawn."

 

Then he got it. "You just said you wanted to watch," Cloud replied stiffly. Returning the favour had not been part of the game.

 

"Perhaps. This time I’m going to make sure you don’t run away."

 

Cloud scowled. He didn’t _run_ from anything.

 

Rufus could read his mind. He was almost sure of it. "You don’t have to be here. All you have to do is concede."

 

_Concede!?_ Cloud had never lost to Rufus Shinra and he wasn‘t going to break that record now. "Never," he hissed.

 

The man tilted his head to the side, lips curling into that sly, infuriating smirk. "I suppose you must be used to losing by now. What a pity that I am the only one to see it."

 

In an instant Cloud had Vigilante up against his throat. He snarled at the man. "I could kill you in one stroke, Shinra." A quiet click echoed through the dark room and Cloud felt the nozzle of a gun pressed coolly against his abdomen.

 

"Perhaps not quite one," answered Rufus, almost apologetic. Scowling, Cloud drew away. He placed Vigilante carefully on the desk. Two of his other swords lay, safe, inside his motorcycle. Cloud reminded himself to bring them in, next time. He could use the reassurance that the extra weapons provided.

 

_Next time?_ asked the small, sensible part of his mind. _Let’s just get this over with and get the hell out of here._

 

_… Who do you think you’re kidding, Cloud?_

 

"Where’s your bathroom?" he asked, unloading the bag that had sat on his shoulder.

 

Rufus looked curious but merely pointed to a door on the left. "I’ll be waiting."

 

"I just bet," muttered Cloud. Slipping inside, he closed the door behind him with a bang, hoping it would translate his mood.

 

The bathroom was smaller than he’d expected; bland and functional rather than Rufus’ black, silk style. It felt nice.

 

He dumped the bag on the seat of the toilet and pried off his leather gloves. It was warm in here, so he shed the leather pauldron, sword harness and boots. He stood there in bare feet, skin tingling against the cool tiles. A mirror hung above the sink. In it Cloud could just make out his reflection from the corner of his eye. It looked tense.

 

From the bag he withdrew a long sheaf of material. It was so soft between his fingers that he could imagine it melting away into nothing. Cloud bit his lip. He felt the pang of Aerith's absence keenly as he handled the dress. The memories brought sweetness now, rather than pain, but he didn’t dwell on them.

 

Cloud put the dress aside and took out the small purse (there was no other word for it) that he’d stolen from Tifa. He’d tried first asking Tifa if he could watch her put on make up (gods knew what she’d thought of that). Cloud could almost hear Aerith laughing at him. After minutes of stunned silence, she had laughed and walked away. Embarrassed, Cloud had decided not to press the matter. Looking at the handful of bizarre make up items in her bag, he wished he had.

 

Some of it was vaguely familiar. Foundation he didn’t need (Cloud never thought he would be grateful for his clear, creamy skin, but he was now) and the mascara wand frightened the hell out of him. He took out a slender eye pencil and stared at himself in the mirror.

 

_What had Aerith done?_ he wondered, trying to dredge up the image. “A circle around the eye," he murmured. He glanced again at the pencil and frowned. "I don’t think I want this anywhere near my eye." Still, he brought it up and began to sketch a line close against his eyelashes. It got easier as he drew near the corners. When he had finished his eyes looked twice as big and gleamed with blue Mako fire. His lips were big enough as it was.

 

_You have a mouth made for sucking cock, Cloud,_ came Rufus’ voice, caramel seduction. Cloud felt a blush heat his cheeks.

 

Quickly he turned to the dress, slipping out of his regular ( _normal_ , thought Cloud) clothes and into the silk. Without Aerith’s keen eye for style, Cloud had taken twice as long to find something that fit him, let alone looked good. In the end he’d gone for a sky-blue dress, styled to look like a kimono, made of Wutaian silk. Its layers helped to disguise his flat chest and the ropy muscles in his arms. Cloud looked himself over critically.

 

His mind kept wandering. That night when he’d first worn a dress for Corneo, the only thing he could think about was his mission. The dress didn’t matter, and he’d chafed at all the little accessories Aerith had insisted on. Now, Cloud found himself eyeing the nape of his neck and wondering if he should loosen the kimono a little further. He hadn’t brought perfume. Casually he sniffed himself. Maybe a little too much grease, but nothing Rufus hadn’t smelt before. He decided that there was no point even trying to tame his hair.

 

_I don’t have shoes_ , he thought suddenly. "Shit." He stared at his bare toes, wiggling on the tiles. "Oh well." _They wouldn’t have stayed on long, anyway._ He flushed again. As soon as he went through that door, they would have… sex. The word sounded odd in his mind. If he called it a _game_ , or a contest, it seemed perfectly normal. The moment that he brought in the concept of _sex_ his mind started to go wiggly. "Don’t think about it, then," he told himself sternly. "Let’s just do it." Taking a deep breath, he opened the door.

 

The kimono restricted his movement quite drastically. Cloud shuffled over the carpet, trailing blue silk behind him. If he had to fight, the dress would have to go.

 

At the end of the room stood the President, behind the desk. Rufus’ sea-green eyes roved over his body hungrily. Only his white-knuckled grip on the chair revealed his fragile threads of control.

 

Standing there in the silk kimono, Cloud felt naked and vulnerable, but the way Rufus was looking at him made his cheeks flush with the first stirrings of arousal. He smirked a little, feeling the softness of the silk on his bare skin and the way Rufus caught his breath when he did. This game he would win.

 

"Beautiful," breathed Rufus, motionless. "Is this the first dress you’ve worn? Besides Corneo."

 

"Yes." Cloud watched him carefully. He didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he curled them into fists behind his back. _Why is he still talking?_ he wondered.

 

"Pity. I'd love to see you in a maid's outfit."

_"What?"_

 

"Kidding."

 

Cloud made a noise and looked away, pressing his lips together. He would not consider that image. "There is something wrong with you," he told the President seriously.

 

"I know," said Rufus, walking toward him. He smiled a wicked, smug smile. "But I haven’t had this much fun in a long time."

 

_Neither have I,_ thought Cloud, pulse racing. He bit back the words just in time and threw them into a dark pit inside his mind where he wouldn’t ever have to think them again. "What…" He eyed the approaching man. "How do you want to start?"

 

Another grin and Cloud swallowed. _What is this man doing to me?_ "Slowly. You’re mine for the whole night, remember?"

 

His lips twisted. "And that doesn’t make me sound like a cheap prostitute at all."

 

"I don’t sleep with prostitutes." Rufus threaded his fingers through the strands of Cloud’s hair.

 

"That’s supposed to reassure me?" asked Cloud wryly. He could feel the warmth of Rufus’ skin on the back of his neck.

 

"I guess not." They stared at each other for a moment. Cloud licked his lips. Rufus’ fingers were massaging the back of his head gently. God, he _wanted_ this, so much it frightened him.

 

He trembled slightly and opened his mouth. "I…"

 

At once Rufus kissed him. His lips moved over Cloud’s, nipping and suckling. Rufus swiped his tongue over the slight indentation at the centre of his bottom lip.

 

Cloud kissed him back, gripping his arms tightly. It hadn’t been that long, but he had already forgotten the man’s taste. The kimono sat tight around his waist. Every time he went to draw a breath its weight reminded him of what he was wearing. He pushed it away, opening his mouth wide and winding his tongue around Rufus’. Saliva trickled from the edge of his mouth in a thin line. Hastily Rufus licked it up. Cloud chased his mouth. Hard lips pressed against his own and Cloud pushed up into them.

 

Desire was heating his blood, driving a longing through his body so fierce that Cloud pulled Rufus to him, as close as he could get.

 

"Cloud," gasped the man, tonguing and mouthing a path across his jaw. Cloud tilted his head up to the ceiling, panting lightly as the President sucked bruises from his neck. It sent tingles of pleasure to his groin. Rufus pushed away the collar of his kimono impatiently, kissing the skin there. The silk fell down his right shoulder and hung around his arm.

 

Cloud tugged at the man’s sweater. "Off," he commanded hoarsely. Prying himself away, Rufus tugged the black jumper over his head and hurled it across the room. Cloud managed a laugh. "The pants?" he asked breathlessly, and they soon came to the same end.

 

"Better?" asked Rufus, completely naked. His body was pale and wiry and burnt through the silk like fire.

 

Cloud simply nodded, clasping his hands around Rufus’ narrow waist. He dipped his head and ran his tongue along the curve of his shoulder. The other man sighed. His skin tasted faintly of vanilla and salt. Cloud plucked a tight, cinnamon nipple between finger and thumb. He rolled it in his fingers, eagerly soaking up each little, breathy moan that Rufus let escape.

 

He sucked on Rufus’ collarbone, humming approval as the man began to untie his kimono. Outside he could hear the distant sound of birdsong, faint against the sound of their own breaths. Again Rufus wound a hand into his hair, raking his nails over Cloud’s scalp. He groaned. The silk of the kimono pressed, soft and slick, against his hardening cock. Unable to help himself, Cloud thrust forward.

 

Hard against him, Rufus rubbed back, his own cock leaking beads of white fluid at the tip. It smeared across the dress. A bolt of pleasure shot down his spine and Cloud gasped. The kimono loosened and came open under the obi. His cock jumped, bared to the cool air.

 

With a small sound of pleasure Rufus reached for it. "Wait," gasped Cloud, backing off. Shit. He was so close, a stroke or two from those talented fingers and he would come all over the silk.

 

That thought only made him harder. "The bed," he said, nodding toward the corner of the room.

 

"Sure," murmured Rufus, seemingly unable to take his eyes of him. _You can preen later,_ Cloud told himself at once when the thought made him waver. _Focus._

 

They stumbled to the bed. Rufus knelt on it first, twisting a hand in the silky material of his kimono and tugging him closer. Cloud crawled onto the sheets, perching unsteadily on Rufus’ thighs. Their cocks rubbed together, already slick and hard as rock.

 

Sighing, Cloud gripped Rufus’ shoulders and thrust against him. Those chiselled abdominal muscles rippled as Rufus thrust back. The man snuck a hand inside his kimono and rested it on his spine. "God, that feels good, Cloud," he muttered in his ear.

 

Cloud gasped back, mouth slack as the vein along the base of his cock rubbed deliciously over Rufus’. Pleasure was building in his groin, shooting sporadic bursts of ecstasy through his body. Then fingers curled around his cock. He looked down. Rufus had encircled both of their shafts with one hand. Cloud moaned, arching up into the touch.

 

"Not yet," panted Rufus. "Hold on, Cloud."

 

"Hurry," he whispered, trying desperately not to beg. He stilled his hips with effort, trembling as Rufus coated his fingers in the cum that leaked from their cocks. "God…"

 

"Nearly there." Rufus slid his hand up Cloud’s thigh, skimming the cheek of his ass and finding that secret place that, at the moment, felt like the passage to his soul. He pushed one finger inside. Grunting, Cloud spread his legs a little further apart and leaned heavily on Rufus.

 

_Do not come, do not come, do not come,_ he chanted, over and over in his head as that slender digit wiggled its way deeper inside him.

 

"You’re so tight," murmured Rufus, a hot breath on his shoulder.

 

"No porn talk," gasped Cloud immediately. It would send him over the edge.

 

A low, breathy chuckle and a second finger wormed inside him. They stretched him apart, promising him paradise with every twist and flick.

 

"Now," grunted Cloud, biting at Rufus’ skin. "Oh, now."

 

Carefully Rufus helped him rise, pulling his fingers out and sliding them, slippery and wet, down Cloud’s thigh. Cloud reached beneath him and gripped the man’s cock. It pulsed hotly in his hand. Slowly he nudged it inside him. He dropped his weight, inch by inch, relaxing his muscles. The broad flesh of Rufus’ cock pushed inside him.

 

_God_ it felt good. He stopped only when he could go no further, when Rufus’ balls rested snug against his ass. Curling his fingers over the man’s shoulders, Cloud closed his eyes and began to move.

 

The kimono had slipped off his shoulders and pooled on the bed. His thighs trembled as he rose and sank on Rufus’ cock. Sharp, aching pleasure radiated out from that spot inside him. Every thrust of Rufus’ cock wrung a breath from him that was almost a cry. His own cock slipped over Rufus’ stomach.

 

"Cloud." Rufus’ voice was dark caramel. "Look at me."

 

He opened his eyes. Rufus bumped his forehead against Cloud’s, his eyes steady and focussed, full of desire. Under his gaze Cloud felt open and exposed, but he couldn’t look away. "Rufus," he panted, arching into him. Blue-green eyes stared into his own. Ecstasy built in Cloud’s veins. “I can’t…" he gasped, voice breaking. " _Please_ …"

 

Long fingers tightened on his thighs and Rufus groaned. His eyes closed sharply and he arched up, thrusting deep inside his body. Cloud felt the man’s cock jerk and a sudden spurt of wet warmth that was his come. _Inside me…_

 

With a long, unsteady moan Cloud threw back his head. Something blissful and ecstatic exploded in his body. Shuddering, he let the waves of pleasure flood through his mind, succumbing to ecstasy.

 

When they subsided Cloud collapsed into Rufus’ arms. He could feel the other man’s heartbeat racing where their chests’ touched. Gradually he caught his breath.

 

Rufus was still inside him. He squirmed uncomfortably. The door beckoned, promising grateful forgetfulness, but… He’d promised Rufus the night. Then something occurred to him.

 

"I won," he murmured, half-surprised and half-pleased.

 

"Yes." Rufus leaned back to quirk an amused eyebrow at him. "So? What would you like for the next time?"

 

Cloud paused. Today he had dreamt of nothing but this, but now his mind was blank.

 

"Surely you can think of _something_ you want?" Rufus asked teasingly.

 

"I…" He frowned. There had to be something. "I… don’t think we should do this again." It tasted like a lie on his tongue and Rufus still sat hot inside him.

 

A frown. "Why not?"

 

Nothing occurred to him. Where were all his reasons, his excuses for not doing this? "... Because it's not normal."

 

"Normal is a relative term, and I hardly think you and I qualify, even without all of this," he waved a hand in the small space between them. Rufus untied the obi still fastened loosely around Cloud’s waist. "We should sleep. You can think of something in the morning."

 

"What about a question?" After a moment the man inclined his head. "What are your plans for Shinra?" He was pleased that he had thought up something that might actually be useful.

 

Rufus hesitated. "Shinra…" He took a breath. "I’m going to rebuild it." Immediately Cloud tensed and drew back. Rufus clutched his hips and sucked in a breath. " _Jesus_ , Cloud."

 

He paused, mumbling an apology and relaxing his muscles.

 

"I’m going to rebuild it, _but_ -" he added quickly when Cloud grimaced. "I’m going to _change_ it." Rufus spread his hands over Cloud’s waist. "I know I’ve said this before," he murmured, staring at some point on Cloud’s chest. "But I mean it. My company - _I_ owe a debt to the planet." He looked up then, fine lines growing between his eyes. That was a look Cloud had seen before, fierce and determined; a dangerous look. "I’m going to pay it back, Cloud. I swear it. There are other energy sources that I’m looking into, other ways-"

 

The SOLDIER pulled away. Maybe he was telling the truth. Some part of Cloud believed him, but there were so many memories to the contrary that Cloud didn’t trust it, not yet. "Alright," he said. _He answered my question, at least._

 

"Wait," said Rufus, guiding him back. He rolled his hips in a little circle and raised an eyebrow.

 

Startled, Cloud realised he wasn’t as opposed to that little hip movement as he thought. "Again?"

 

"Why not? You have somewhere better to be?" he asked, sliding his hands up the skin of Cloud’s back.

 

"Always," grumbled Cloud, but he tightened his thighs around the other man’s pelvis. It wasn’t long before he forgot his reservations and gave in to the blind, devastating pleasure that Rufus provided.

 

x

 

There was a knock on the door. Cloud woke instantly. Movement beside him and he kept his eyes closed, breathing deeply as if in sleep. Rufus grumbled a little, like a big housecat who had been prodded out of a nap. The door creaked open. Cloud listened intently.

 

Murmured voices. Rufus’ deep, aristocratic drawl was distinctive. There was another voice Cloud didn’t immediately recognise, clipped and authoritative.

 

"We have received the latest reports on the oil field," it said quietly.

 

"Good," murmured Rufus. "The Professor?"

 

"Nothing yet." A pause. "Sir…"

 

"Yes, Tseng?" It was Tseng. Cloud could just imagine him standing there, suit pressed despite the early hour and hair immaculate. "I am a little busy."

 

"Actually, it’s about that."

 

It felt like the temperature dropped ten degrees with Rufus’ next words. "You have something to say, Tseng?"

 

"With all due respect, sir, I don’t believe that this-"

 

"It is lucky, then, that I do not employ you for your opinion." His voice was nearly inaudible for all its bite, and Cloud almost held his breath to hear it. "I shall call you in the morning. Get some rest."

 

"… Yes, sir." The door clicked shut. Footsteps paced across the floor to the centre of the room. There they paused. Cloud made sure that his breathing was deep and steady. After a second they resumed, settling somewhere in the direction of the desk. Shuffling paper, and the creak of the chair.

 

Cloud counted to forty in his head, then another forty. Finally he stretched, making light noises as if he was just waking. He turned his head on the pillow and blinked his eyes open.

 

At the desk sat Rufus, dressed in pale slacks. He was going through a file. As Cloud watched, Rufus sat back and gripped the bridge of his nose between finger and thumb. It took a few seconds to register that the action was one of his own habits.

 

The President glanced over and met his eyes. "Morning," he said softly.

 

"Morning," replied Cloud, voice husky from sleep.

 

"I have to do some work." As Cloud made to rise the blond shook his head. "No, no, you can stay. It won’t take long."

 

Sinking back into the sheets, Cloud cast a nervous look around the room. His fingers itched and he shifted uncomfortably against the pillow.

 

Rufus cast him a shrewd glance. "There’s a gun in the bedside cabinet."

 

Sheepishly, Cloud ducked his head. It did make him feel better, knowing that he had a weapon only a few feet away. The bed felt good, too. For lack of something to do, Cloud watched Rufus work. The man didn’t seem put off by his gaze.

 

The methodical sound of Rufus sorting through documents eventually lulled Cloud into a dreamy haze somewhere between sleep and waking. Just before he finally lost consciousness, in a moment that would be forgotten by morning, Cloud felt the briefest butterfly touch against his lips. A phantom kiss.

 

 

x

 

Concrit is always welcome.


	4. Toy Soldier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Inspiration! You love me, don't you?

The Da Chao mountain loomed in dark counterpoint to the blue sky. It was comforting, being back in the village. The Wutaian people moved at a different pace to Midgar. Despite the tourist attractions, the tone beneath still held that regal confidence that was distinctive to Wutai.

 

Cloud glanced up at the cliffs overlooking the village. It felt like it had only been a few days since his last visit. This time he was staying far away from Turtle’s Paradise - the impression he’d left on them was not one he was keen to repeat.

 

Slowly Cloud made his way to the residential district. He’d left Fenrir at the junction on the other side of the mountains. First Ken and the Hollow Sword sat in his harness with the two back blades. For a moment Cloud missed having them in his hands. He could see them all together, so clearly, in this village, back when they were fighting Sephiroth; when they had a job to do. He missed having that kind of purpose. Now there was only the future, stretching out in front of him without a single boundary.

 

Cloud sighed, rubbing his head. He was thinking too much.

 

Professor Siu Jao’s house was dark at the end of the street. Cloud was looking forward to seeing the bird-like woman again. She had a kind of no-nonsense way about her that he liked.

 

Whatever Rufus had in this folder, it apparently warranted Cloud’s protection. Still, he felt a bit unnecessary, carrying a single folder and decked out in full battle gear. Statues of the Leviathan god stood at the sides of the road, delicately carved out of granite. Each of the houses were beautifully decorated, so different to the slums of Midgar.

 

The door was open. Cloud froze at the entrance to Siu’s house. It swung in the breeze, ajar and showing a dark sliver that led into the house. Cloud drew his First Ken, reassured by the familiar weight in his hand. Even though everything in the street seemed perfectly normal, his instincts were screaming at him to watch out.

 

All the lights were off. A vase lay smashed where it had toppled to the floor. Cloud moved through the building carefully, placing his feet silently on the wood. _What happened?_ he wondered. No sound came from the house at all; it felt like a grave. Cloud crept cautiously into the woman’s study-come-lab. It was a disaster. Papers and folders were scattered across the room and glass lay shattered. It was as if a hurricane had suddenly swept through the small house.

 

Cloud eyed the place warily. There didn’t seem to be anyone here and no trace of Professor Siu. He flipped out his phone and dialled the number that he now knew by heart.

 

_“Cloud. What is it?”_

 

“Rufus.” He took another look around and frowned pensively. “I think Siu is dead.”

 

There was a weighty pause. _“Hold on.”_ Cloud tapped the computer terminal, trying to bring it to life. The screen was dark and some wiring was ripped out of at the back. _“Alright. What happened?”_

 

“I’m not sure. The house is empty; ransacked.” He stood with his back to the east wall, First Ken still in his hand. “Whatever she was working on has been taken.”

 

Rufus hissed. _“Fine. Come back now and I’ll-”_

 

Something thudded upstairs. “One second,” murmured Cloud, tightening his grip on the sword.

 

_“What’s going on? Cloud-”_

 

Cloud hung up on him. He stepped quietly to the base of the stairs.

 

More movement from the upper floor. The phone vibrated. “Yes?”

 

_“You hung up on me?”_

 

“Not now.” Cloud slid the phone back into his pocket and ignored it when it buzzed again.

 

Someone was upstairs: they probably already knew that he was in the house.

 

Cloud cursed mentally. He should have been more careful. Silently he drew the Hollow blade and clicked it into place around the First sword. Then he began to creep up the stairs.

 

It was lighter up here. Cloud stole along the corridor. There were only two rooms. Each of the doors had been ripped open. The paper and wood hung off its frame. Behind one was a liquid shadow, searching through the room. Its movements were hasty and erratic; impatient. Perhaps it hadn’t noticed his arrival after all.

 

A body lay twisted on the floor, sprawled across the corridor: Siu Jao. She was dead. It must have happened quite some time ago, as rigor was already setting in. The assassin had spent too long trying to dig up her secrets. He stepped over her body carefully.

 

Drawing in a breath, Cloud tightened his grip on First Ken. The shadow turned and emerged into the corridor. It took one look at Cloud and sped rapidly in the other direction. Swearing, Cloud sheathed his sword and darted along the passage.

 

The man was covered head to toe in black. Cloud didn’t recognise the way he moved, but he was agile enough to race through the house without once touching the walls. Cloud dodged around an ornate coffee table and cornered the man against the window. He was slight, breathing harshly in the quiet room.

 

Cloud reached again for First Ken and the man twitched. A breath later and he ran from Cloud, tripping lightly over the windowsill and landing softly on the floor below. Cloud followed, hissing through his teeth. The thud of his landing shook the breath from his lungs. He swore, and promised himself an extra few hours training as soon as he got back. The assassin was fast disappearing over the mountain terrain into the cliffs. Swiftly Cloud took off after him.

 

It didn’t take long for him to realise that he was chasing a shadow. There was so many nooks and crannies hidden in the mountains that the assassin must have escaped through one of them. Cloud stopped finally a short way away from the town.

 

_Damn. Now what?_

 

His motorcycle was back on the other side of Wutai. “Shit,” he muttered, glancing around at the bronzed hills. Reluctantly he strode back the way he had come, entering the house again through the back porch. He strode carefully through each room, scanning the surfaces for some kind of clue.

 

Upstairs, in the room that the assassin had been searching, was a thin, cream folder. _Are you serious?_ thought Cloud incredulously. _He_ left _it here?_

 

What kind of incompetent assassin forgot his next job?

 

Cloud took it with him as he left, flicking through the pages. There were a few things that he didn’t recognise, but there was a lot more that he did.

 

Whirring filled the air. Cloud shielded his eyes. Black against the sky came a massive helicopter. Wind thrown up from the rotor blades tugged at his trousers and Cloud narrowed his eyes. “What the hell…?”  
It landed gently in front of him. Etched in red on the side was a very familiar symbol.

 

“Yo, Cloud!” Reno leant out of the window, flipping his thumb up and grinning at him. “Y’alright?”

 

“What the hell?” he said again.

 

A young, blond woman jumped out of the helicopter. She put a hand to her hair, ruffled up by the wind and beckoned him over. “Let’s go, Cloud! Come on!”

 

Damn the man. Pressing his lips together, Cloud ducked under the rotors toward her. “We’re picking up my bike.”

 

 

x

 

Reno landed the Shinra black chopper just outside the Cliff Resort that was now Healin Lodge. Water cascaded down the rocks above the cabins. As soon as they landed Cloud jumped out, the assassin’s folder tucked under his arm.

 

He ignored the two Turks frantically trying to follow him and stamped up the steps to Rufus’ lodge. It was beyond time that he got some answers. Cloud strode through the door without knocking. This time he wasn’t met by Rude’s electromagnetic rod or by Rufus alone.

 

Tseng raised his eyebrows. “Do you always enter a house so rudely?” There was no sign of the torture he had endured under Kadaj and his brothers. Like Rufus, he now looked as if that last adventure had never happened.

 

“Where’s Rufus?” asked Cloud, ignoring the man’s question.

 

Dark eyes narrowed into slits. He had never fought Tseng, but now Cloud wondered if he would have to. After a pause Tseng spoke again. “He is with a client. Not to be disturbed.” Tseng’s gaze was warning him away, and Cloud could well imagine from what.

 

He snorted and turned immediately to the second door.

 

“Wait, Cloud-”

 

Rufus stood with his hands clasped behind his back, standing straight beside the walnut desk. Opposite him stood an older man that Cloud didn’t recognise. He paused. “Cloud,” said Rufus calmly, as if ex-SOLDIERs and delivery boys stormed in on his business transactions regularly. “I’m glad you could make it.”

 

The other man tensed at the sound of his entrance. Cloud inclined his head, watching the two of them warily.

 

“This is Cloud Strife,” added Rufus, unnecessarily, judging by the pallor of the man’s skin. “He has been investigating the factory and its energy by-product, Mr. Ksarov. Now we have all the evidence we need.”

 

“My factory abides to all legal standards, you have nothing-”

 

“That is not what I have been informed.” He held out a hand to Cloud. Bemused, Cloud handed over the assassin’s folder. Rufus placed it on his desk without looking at it. “As you can see,” he said. “We have all the evidence we need to shut it down. And your company… I very much doubt that it will be able to survive such a blow.” Then he smiled. A smile that was smug and victorious with a barest hint of cruelty. A smile that said Rufus was winning. _And he knew it._

 

Cloud tried to ignore the effect that smile had on his libido.

 

The man snarled. “What do you want?”

 

Cool as ever, Rufus walked a circle around the desk and sat gracefully in the chair. He laced his fingers together over his knee. The man, Ksarov, was getting more and more restless with each step. He kept shooting nervous glances at Cloud - no, at the swords on his back. “The factory would be an excellent resource for the Planet,” said Rufus evenly. “And the land that surrounds it. I believe that there is an oil well close by in that sector.”

 

“I see how it is,” muttered Ksarov. “All you want is the power. Screw the Planet, you’ll just do it all over again.”

 

Cloud winced. Rufus’ lips pressed into a very thin line. “If there’s nothing more you have to say, Ksarov, then I suggest you spend some time with your lawyers.”

 

A snort and the man walked agitatedly to the door. “You haven’t seen the last of me, Rufus,” he shot back over his shoulder as he went. “I’ll fight you on this.”

 

“I look forward to it,” murmured the President, and the door clicked shut. Instantly Rufus’ attention turned to him. “What happened?”

 

“Professor Siu is dead.” Cloud moved around the room restlessly. Light streamed in from the window. There were too many risks in this place, too many ways for an assassin to find his way in. “There was an assassin at Wutai. He destroyed her lab and all her records.” He nodded to the manila folder that Rufus had left on the desk. “I managed to get that before he escaped.”

 

“He escaped?”

 

The words stung and Cloud scowled. “There was… interference.”

 

Rufus hiked an eyebrow but said no more. “Alright.” Quietly he picked up the folder. There was a frown between his eyes and Cloud wondered how close he had been to the old Professor. “Anything you could tell from the assassin?”

 

“No. All black, no insignia and no style that I recognise. But stupid enough to take his assignments with him.” Rufus stopped flicking through the folder suddenly. He had come to the pictures.

 

“Ah.”

 

“Exactly.” Cloud crossed his arms over his chest, frowning at the other man darkly. “You’re his next target.”

 

“I see.”

 

Cloud waited, but there was nothing more. “He’s coming to kill you,” he prompted.

 

“Yes, I see that.” Blue-green eyes glanced up at him briefly. “There’s not very much I can do about it at the moment, though, is there?”

 

“Hmph.” Cloud stood at the window, staring across at the cliffs. Any of these crags could hide a potential killer. “What kind of energy is it that you’re researching?”

 

“I thought you didn’t want to know?”

 

Frustrated, Cloud rubbed his hand over his face. “Now’s not the time for games. Tell me.”

 

A sigh. Rufus sat back in his chair with the folder in his lap. “Clean energy. Alternatives to gas and oil. Wind farms and water plants, mostly. Siu Jao was looking into the effect of our Mako reactors on the water. Certainly nothing worth dying for,” he added bitterly.

 

“Do you think it’s personal?”

 

“It could be…” Rufus was watching him. Cloud hated when he did that. “I have enough enemies.”

 

“What about that man - Ksarov?” asked Cloud, jerking his head toward the door.

 

“Hmm. CEO of a little corporation just outside Cosmo Canyon. He does stand to lose a lot of money from our transaction.”

 

“Most people call it blackmail,” said Cloud absently.

 

“I thought we agreed - most people are normal.” That triggered memories that brought a flush of heat to Cloud’s body. “It could be him, although things in my life don’t usually turn out that simply.”

 

_Wouldn’t it be nice if this time it did?_

 

"And what is it Reno says... If you can’t beat them…”

 

“Arrange to have them beaten,” Cloud said dryly.

 

“Maybe we’re being beaten?” Rufus threw him a smirk.

 

“Mm,” hummed Cloud vaguely. “Killed by another industry fat cat.” It was ironic.

 

Rufus’ eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. “Fat… cat?”

 

Cloud ignored him. “You should have someone check this guy out.”

 

“Are you offering your services?” Cloud quirked an eyebrow and Rufus smirked. “Not like that. More like a… bodyguard.”

 

His lips twisted. “Not-”

 

“Interested?” The President looked far too smug for his own good. “I expected as much.”

 

“You can’t stay here,” said Cloud, pacing the perimeter of the room restlessly. “It’s not secure enough for an attack.”

 

“It was never designed for high level security,” Rufus reminded him. He was silent for a minute, then said, “I have an apartment in the city that we‘re converting. It’s nothing like the old company building, but I think it’s good enough to hide out at for a few days.”

 

Tseng entered gracefully then. His face was as dark and stormy as ever. He clasped his hands behind his back and stood with his legs apart, gaze unfathomable. Cloud didn’t think that he’d been called.

 

“What’s it like?” asked Cloud, prowling around the edge of the room, by the windows. “Cameras? Alarm system?”

 

“Reno and I will ensure that the President’s security is infallible.” Surprised, Cloud looked at Tseng. He had no intention of assisting them, but Tseng was acting like the ex-SOLDIER was stamping all over his toes. He nodded and said no more.

 

“Cloud…” Rufus’ voice was soft in his ear. It sent a shiver down his spine. “Have you thought any more about our discussion?”

 

Oh, he had. Most of his waking hours, in fact, and some sleeping. “A bit,” he murmured in reply, avoiding the man’s eyes.

 

“Perhaps we could continue it later this week?”

 

Cloud brushed strands of hair out of his eyes. There seemed little point tip-toeing around their… arrangement in front of Tseng when the Turk was obviously already aware of what they were doing. “Perhaps.”

 

A low laugh. Rufus scribbled something down and handed it to Cloud. “Here’s the address. Come by, won’t you.” He smirked. “Check out the security.”

 

Cloud tucked the paper into his pocket and glanced at the Turk. “Did you unload Fenrir?”

 

Tseng nodded sharply.

 

“Fenrir is your motorcycle?” asked Rufus in a way that made Cloud immediately suspicious.

 

“Yes,” Cloud replied, his tone saying, _what about it?_

 

Rufus shrugged one shoulder. “Just curious.” In his eyes was a glint Cloud knew all too well.

 

“No,” he said flatly. Rufus blinked.

 

“No to what? I didn’t say anything.”

 

“No to whatever perverted new fantasy you were thinking about,” hissed Cloud under his breath. The president looked mildly affronted.

 

“I’m offended, Cloud. It might not be anything perverted.” Cloud shot him a look. “I said _might_.”

 

 

x

 

 

The Golden Saucer glittered in the night. From every direction came the sound of voices and music. Cloud brushed through the saucer to get to the Chocobo station. The kid had sent his new chocobo on ahead. It would be waiting for him in the stables, nervous in the unfamiliar setting.

 

Ester stood near the entrance to the jockeys’ lounge, bouncing on the spot excitedly. When she saw Cloud she beamed.

 

“You’re a lucky one tonight, Cloud!” She clutched his arm and herded him past the drunken gamblers who thronged the station.

 

“What?”

 

“Someone’s placed a bet on you to win. Not just any bet,” she added, wagging a finger at him mysteriously. “A _large_ bet. A _very_ large bet.”

 

Cloud frowned at her. Since the fall of Sephiroth he’d been coming here more and more frequently. There was something about chocobo racing that fired him with adrenaline in the same way a battle once had. It was addictive. Most people recognised him now, and his special rank chocobos were worth ten times more than he’d spent raising them.

 

It was no surprise that he’d been backed to win. Some of the regulars lay thousands on him at one race.

 

“So?”

 

“So, we’re not talking a few measly hundred gil.” She lowered her head and whispered the next with a conspiring wink. “This is _millions_.”

 

_Millions…. Who had that kind of money to throw around?_

__

 

_Wait…_

 

“Did he leave a name?”

 

She checked her clipboard. “Yep: a mister F. Cat.”

 

For a minute, Cloud seriously considered throwing the race.

 

“So, how is… _Chip_ doing?” Ester raised an eyebrow at him teasingly.

 

“Fine,” replied Cloud, a little stiffly. Ester could mock him all she wanted, but his chocobos’ names were easier to remember if they all started with a C.

 

“Okiedoke! Well, they’re being brought through now, so you might as well go down. Odds are tipped in Joe’s favour, this time, ‘cause your chocobo’s new to the track. Good luck!”

 

All of the jockeys had begun to make their way to the track. Cloud went on after them, blinking at the bright, coloured lights. He was racing for Shinra today. With a million, they’d be well on their way to rebuilding that company. Cloud felt the weight of it pressing down on his shoulders, the knowledge that he was helping this to happen.

 

_Don’t be so literal_ , said his mind in the voice of Rufus. Cloud saw his black chocobo, Chip, prancing nervously at the start. It lifted its head when it saw him and squeaked.

 

_He’s changed_ , thought Cloud to himself firmly. Deep down, he believed it and each day seemed to reinforce that belief. Memories of the old President were being replaced by this new Rufus, the one who teased him continuously and seduced him with his eyes.

 

Cloud smoothed the feathers on Chip’s neck. The chocobo seemed to calm at the man’s touch. There was one other black chocobo in the race - Joe’s - and the others were various inferior breeds. Chip was only a B-rank, though. It would take a few more races before he could join the ranks of the Specials.

 

There was something about the chocobos that reassured Cloud. He spent a few minutes talking lowly, feeling beneath the saddle to check the feathers all lay flat. Then the announcement came over the speakers and Cloud mounted.

 

The next few minutes were a blur of bright colours and loud music. Chip was slow to start, confused by the longer track, but then he caught sight of Joe and his mount Teioh and sped ahead. Cloud’s heart was in his throat those last metres. Below him the ground raced by; a nasty shock if he fell. His blood was pounding and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up on end. It was exhilarating. Only at the end, amid the roars and cheers of the crowd, did he remember the bet.

 

_Well_ , he thought, leading Chip silently back to the stables, away from the winners circle. _He can’t say I’ve never helped him to achieve anything._

 

 

x

 

Concrit is always welcome.


	5. Talk to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm, tasty

"Hey. You’  
re brooding.  
”  
A finger tapped him lightly on the forehead. Cloud crossed his eyes trying to look at it and someone laughed.

“

I don ’ t brood. ”

“

Mm-hmm. ” Tifa swung behind the bar, tossing her long hair over a shoulder.  “ You going to see Rufus today? ”  
  


He shook his head, frowned at a spot of dirt on the counter. 

“ I don ’ t have any deliveries today. ”  
  


A teasing smile tugged at her mouth. 

“ That wasn ’ t what I asked. ”  
  


Again he frowned. 

“ Why do you want to know? ”

“

You always brood before you see him, ” she shrugged.  “ And after. And whenever someone mentions his name. ”  
  


He scowled at her. 

“He’s busy,” Raised eyebrow. “ _I ’m_ busy,” he corrected immediately.

Tifa looked him up and down. 

“ Yep, you sure do look swamped. ” Glasses clinked together as Tifa began to wash up.  “ Vincent should be dropping by, ” she said absently. Cloud perked up a bit.  “ He ’ s working with Reeve on some new assignment and promised to come round. ”

“

When? ” Vincent was one of those people who thought a lot and said little. Cloud liked him.

Tifa cast a glance at the clock. 

“ He ’ s a bit late, actually. Should be any minute. ”  
  


Resting his chin on his hand, Cloud gazed unseeingly at the line of bottles behind the bar. He couldn

’ t get his mind off the assassination. It must be something to do with Rufus, something personal.

“There’s a fundraiser today,” said Tifa, tilting her head at Cloud. “For the Fair Foundation. I think the kids are going.”

“Fair Foundation?”

“You haven’t heard?” Tifa’s hair shimmered as she shook her head. “Rufus set it up a few months ago, for war orphans and ex- SOLDIERS.”

__

The Fair Foundation. Cloud doubted that Rufus had plucked the title from thin air. Yet another paradigm shift in his head when it came to Rufus.

“Mm,” was all he said. It had only been two days since he had left Healin Lodge. By now Rufus would be holed up in his apartment. This assassin could be tracking his movements even now.

Cloud’s fingers tightened on the counter. The man’s devil-may-care attitude when it came to his own safety was infuriating. With only one Turk beside him, he was seriously vulnerable to attack - the thought distressed Cloud more than he liked. That voice echoed in the back of his mind, mocking. Cloud flushed.

“Vincent.” Tifa smiled across the bar. The ex-Turk still wore his sweeping crimson cloak. At his side the gold metal of his claws glittered.

“Tifa. Cloud.” He acknowledged them both with a curt nod.

“Are you going to the fundraiser today?” asked Tifa, leaning her hip on the bar.

Vincent came to stand beside him and Cloud peered up at him. The man had an uncanny ability to read every emotion on Cloud’s face. “I can’t stay.”

“Can I get you s drink?” A slow, steady shake of his head and Tifa smiled. “Sit down then, won’t you?”

Carefully Vincent perched on a bar stool, looking oddly out of place. He rested his arms on the counter. “I hear you’ve been delivering for Shinra,” he said quietly.

Cloud stared down at his hands. “Where did you hear that?” he replied in the same tone. Tifa was watching them both with a tilt to her lips that meant she was amused about something. He tried to frown her out.

“Reeve. He’s in contact with Shinra for the resources.” Cloud wished he’d stop calling the man Shinra. They spent a few moments in silence. “Be careful,” said Vincent finally. His tone held some note of warning. Cloud wasn’t sure if it was in relation to his deliveries, or if Vincent knew about what else he’d been doing with Rufus.

“I will,” he said, stiffening slightly. He was well able to take care of himself. Tifa quirked her eyebrows at him. “I’m going out.” He left the two of them in the bar and went to stand outside.

He drew in deep breath, standing in the fresh air. _I know what I’m doing_ , he thought irritably. Vincent was usually the one he went to for support - _no, that’s not true_ , he amended. Vincent was the voice of reason. It was no wonder he’d tried to warn Cloud of the danger he was stepping into. Hadn’t he been thinking of the same danger two weeks ago?

Shaking his head, Cloud took his phone out to check his messages. No use worrying about it. Things had an odd way of sorting themselves out.

A beep heralded his first message, some small company that wanted a quote. Then;

__

“Cloud.”

A shiver ran down his spine and, although he didn’t move, Cloud felt himself switch to full alert. Just one word and he was strung to the point of tension.

__

“Just to advise you that I’ve moved into the apartment complete. Why don’t you come by tonight, if you’re free?”

There was a slight pause. Cloud could hear the sound of construction in the background. He had to be in the new sector.

__

“Cloud-”

That tone was new, made Cloud really pay attention. With the next words, though, it was gone before he could identify it.

__

“See you soon.”

Frowning, Cloud flipped his phone shut. He had nothing going on tonight, not really. _What am I doing?_ Even as the thought crossed his mind, his body was already moving toward Fenrir. It knew what it wanted.

__

Once more.

__

x

He was buzzed in not an hour later. The apartment sat in a new building, shrouded in scaffolding. It had clean lines and expensive detailing. As Cloud stood in the elevator, listening to some hideous new song consisting of three notes, he automatically took note of its position, any escape route he could detect and the distance from the windows to the ground. Up in the corner a tiny little camera blinked at him. Not bad, for an ex-president.

Rufus met him at the door. He was in his suit again. Cloud was of the opinion that it made him comfortable.

Delicious smells wafted out from the kitchen. Cloud raised his eyebrows. “You cook?”

“I ordered,” said Rufus, lips curling in a smirk.

The apartment was spacious, littered with overstuffed leather furniture and accents in green. To Cloud’s eyes, it was luxurious.

“Are you hungry?” asked Rufus, leading him deeper into the flat.

Cloud looked over to him, about to answer in the negative, but when their eyes met a surge of desire swept over him that was so strong his mouth went dry and he forgot what he was going to say. “I… no, thank you.” Panic followed close on that desire; he had never been so powerless in front of Rufus before, and this was _because of_ the other man. _Shit._

“All right.“ He was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and his face completely blank. But Cloud had been trained to read a stance as well as a face: Rufus was on the defensive. Perhaps it was that fact that made him finally believe that Rufus really wasn’t just using him. Rufus was putting himself on the line, just as much as Cloud was. Something in his chest loosened and he breathed easier. 

“Then, what do you want?”

Unnerved, Cloud

’ s glance flicked to the President ’ s and skittered away. He ’ d never had trouble asking for what he wanted, but this … This was an obsession he ’ d never, ever thought would see the light of day.  “ Talk. Just talk to me. ”

“

Talk? ” Rufus relaxed a little.  “ That ’ s all? ”  
  


Cloud nodded. 

“ No touching, or you forfeit the game. ” Blue-green eyes gleamed and Rufus smiled, a little appreciatively, Cloud thought. He was getting the hang of this.

A nod. He’d acceded. When Rufus next met his gaze, his eyes were huge and dark with lust. Cloud felt his body quiver in response.

“On the bed.”

Wetting his lips, Cloud walked past the other man - close, so close he could feel the heat of his body as a fire on his skin - and into the shadowed door beyond. This room was dwarfed by a bed, lined in blue silken sheets. It was light and gentle, different to Healin Lodge. It felt like a home.

Cloud stripped off his clothes without being told. He knelt on the bed, face shielded by the blond bangs of his hair and skin exposed. His hands were trembling and yet, when Cloud heard Rufus enter, his muscles tensed in anticipation: he wanted this.

“Very good.” His voice purred over Cloud’s skin, dark silk and velvet. Cloud didn’t dare look up, not yet. He pressed his lips together and waited. “You look…” Rufus shifted. Cloud heard the rustle of cloth as he settled into a new position. “Open your mouth, Cloud. Lick your lips.”

Obediently Cloud swept his tongue over his bottom lip, concentrating on the feel of the plump flesh cooling in the air. He was growing hard already, hard and hot as the blood rushed to his cock. Something in his stomach quivered deliciously.

“Run your fingers down your neck,” whispered Rufus. “Feel the pulse in your throat start to pound.” The world could have fallen to pieces around him; all Cloud could think about was that voice, that seductive connection to his soul. “You have an incredible body, Cloud. I can see your muscles twitch as you think about them.” A low, throaty chuckle. “Trace the edges of your stomach. Use only the tips of your fingers.”

Cloud skimmed the pads of his fingers down his chest, along the ripple of his abdomen, where the muscles were carved in lines of pain and heartache. He felt a scar and followed its line back up. The light touch was intoxicating. _He’s teasing me_ , realised Cloud. _Bastard_ , he thought.

“Touch your nipple, Cloud. I want to see you squeeze it.”

With a heavy breath Cloud pinched his right nipple. It peaked between his fingers and he squeezed it. A shot of pleasure straight to his groin. 

“You make me so hard, Cloud. I can’t wait to touch you.”

He looked up then, breathing too heavily to close his mouth. Rufus had his arms crossed, his fingers digging into his arms. Cloud smirked and the president’s eyes narrowed.

“Both nipples, Cloud. Roll them between your fingers.”

He did so, breath huffing out on a moan. He was hard, now, the pleasure tingling waves through his body.

“Drop your hand,” said Rufus. “Cup your balls - _don’t_ touch your cock.”

A whine escaped him before he could control it. Pressing his lips together, Cloud slid his hand down his body. His cock jumped and Cloud paused. His body was starting to ache. _No_ , he thought sternly, and gripped his balls tightly.

“Gently, Cloud.” Relenting, he loosened his grip, playing them lightly over his fingers. “Good, Cloud. I wonder, would you like it if I sucked them?”

Cloud hissed in a breath. A bead of glistening white liquid dripped from his cock.

“Would you?” repeated Rufus, voice dropping an octave, hardening.

“Yes,” he replied, his own voice rough. His eyes had fallen closed.

“Touch yourself, Cloud. Pull the skin back so I can see your cum.”

Biting his lip, Cloud spread apart the slit of his cock. His fingers were wet and they slipped on his skin. He trembled.

“Good boy, Cloud. Do you like that?” Rufus’ caramel whispers were barely audible above the throb of blood in his ears, in his cock. They sent shivers down his spine. “Do you like spreading your legs for me and showing me your cock? Do you?”

“Yes,” muttered Cloud, the word wrung out of him. “I like it.”

Then suddenly Rufus’ voice was close in his ear. “

Let me touch you. ”  
  


Cloud had enough presence of mind left not to jump on those words. 

“ You ’ ll forfeit the game. ”

“

I don ’ t care. ”

He groaned. “

Touch me. ”  
  


Hands gripped his hips and Cloud opened his eyes. Rufus was still dressed, kneeling on the bed in front of him. He was flushed, eyes dark.

Quickly, Cloud leant back, shuffled his legs to welcome the other man between them. Beneath his white cotton layers, Rufus was hard.

Panting still and desperate for release, Cloud reached for him. Rufus leant into him, ground his pelvis into Cloud’s bare hips. Their harsh breaths echoed in apartment. Cloud wrapped his legs around Rufus, digging his heels into the man’s back. He thrust up, grinding his cock into Rufus’ hard, silken body. He fought for purchase on the stupid white jacket, probably tearing holes in the material. They thrust against each other again and suddenly Rufus shuddered.

__

He came, thought Cloud, shivering, and let go. Ecstasy jolted through him, black waves that made him writhe and moan.

It took long minutes to come back to himself. Cloud felt the brush of Rufus’ eyelashes on his cheek. The weight of his body was a reassuring shield against the cold, dark space of the apartment. “I won,” he murmured into the man’s ear.

“I know,” came the response, half-tired and half-laughing. Rufus lifted his head. “I’m sticky,” he informed Cloud and the ex-SOLDIER smirked.

“I know,” he repeated, feeling cheeky and light-hearted. “Go get a shower.”

A long-suffering look, but Rufus slithered off the bed and padded out of the room. “No thanks to you.”

Still smirking, Cloud closed his eyes. The silk felt both warm and cool on his skin. _Not too shabby_ , he thought. _The sheets’ll need a wash._ Cloud only sank deeper into the bed. Once Rufus had finished, he would borrow his shower quickly. He was sick of driving back to the bar with cum lining his pants.

Grimacing at that thought, Cloud turned his head into the pillow. _In a minute._

x


	6. Simple and Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay writing.

Someone was hammering. Blearily, Cloud opened his eyes. He could see the faint shape of furniture across the room; unfamiliar. An arm lay across his waist and there was hot skin at his back. Cloud pressed back, revelling in the feel of another body all the way down his spine.

Then his brain caught up with his instincts and he pulled away. The sound of hammering was distant: it must be coming from somewhere outside or above them ( _and isn’t it unusual for Rufus not to have a penthouse suite?_ ). Some other poor soul couldn’t sleep. Cloud slipped out of bed. Rufus murmured something intelligible but didn’t wake.

Cloud slid on his loose trousers and wandered into the kitchen. It was early; pre-dawn. He had slept through the night. On the counter was a bowl of papya, still juicy. Cloud helped himself to piece. He usually had cereal or oats in the morning; something high in fibre and energy-boosting. Rufus had fresh fruit and a cup of coffee, chocolate on Sundays. It disturbed Cloud that he knew these things about the man.

He sat on a stool in the kitchen. There were windows in the living room as well as the bedroom - not easily accessible from the street, but by no means impossible. He would have to look at the alarms before he left.

_Tifa’s probably wondering where I am._ Then he thought of the girl - smart, smarter than most - and smiled wryly. _Maybe not._ He took a glass of water and downed it in a few swallows. He wasn’t used to sleeping for this long; he still felt tired.

There was a buzz from the intercom. Cloud paused. It came again, followed by a burst of quick, staccato beats. He hesitated. This wasn’t his apartment and he wasn’t even really here - should he be answering the door?

Silence fell and Cloud shrugged philosophically. If it was important, they’d come back. He was moving back to the bedroom to collect his things ( _check out the security_ ) when the door jiggled. Cloud froze in the hallway.

_Shit._ First Ken lay tucked somewhere out of sight, and he had no other weapons on him - stupid. Assassin? The handle on the door turned and Cloud fell instantly into a fighting stance. He took a deep breath. The door creaked open and Reno fell into the apartment.

“Reno?” Cloud straightened, raising his eyebrows. The Turk was completely wasted. “What are you doing here?”

The redhead looked up. “What the-” He stumbled a little, leaning back on the door as it shut behind him. “Hell are you doin’ here, Cloud-o?” Reno blinked. “Wait. Where is this?”

Cloud rolled his eyes. He reached out to support the man. “This is Rufus’ apartment.”

Reno brushed him off and staggered past him. He collapsed into a plush leather chair on the other side of the flat. “Thought so,” he muttered, head flopping back onto the chair. “What are _you_ doing here?” he asked, gaze flickering over Cloud’s bare chest.

“I…” It was four a.m. in Rufus’ personal apartment and he didn’t even have any _socks_ on. No one would believe anything but the truth. Maybe not even that. “Have you been drinking?” he said instead.

“Obviously,” muttered Reno. He tilted his head toward Cloud. Strands of red hair fell into his eyes and the light glimmered on his cheekbones. Something in his face changed. “And you, Cloud?” he purred. “Still sober as ever?”

Cloud shifted uncomfortably. He cast a glance at the open door to the bedroom. Reno wasn’t being particularly quiet. “What do you want?”

Reno snorted. He levered himself out of the chair. “None of your god-damned business.” Reno’s eyes narrowed and Cloud realised the Turk wasn’t as drunk as he seemed. “He doesn’t give a shit about you.”

Cloud blinked. “What?” Had he heard that right?

“Rufus.”

Reno’s eyes tracked over Cloud’s bare chest again and the ex-SOLDIER shivered. Suddenly he felt vulnerable. “What are you talking about?”

Reno stalked over to him, stopping just a few inches away. His ice-chip eyes glowed in the semi-darkness. “He doesn’t feel anything for you,” the man hissed. “I’ll prove it.”

Then Reno leaned forward and kissed him.

Instantly Cloud tensed. _What the hell?_

“Reno.” Cloud flinched. Rufus was standing on the other side of the room, arms crossed across his chest. His face was blank; expressionless. When Reno saw him, his lips curled into a smirk.

“Rufus-”

“Cloud. Why don’t you give me a moment alone with Reno?” He wasn’t looking at him. Something sank in the pit of Cloud’s stomach. He slipped by Rufus and went back into the bedroom, pulling the door closed behind him. He didn’t want to be a part of whatever discussion they were going to have.

Shinra and the Turks were more of a family now than they had ever been before. Cloud felt like he was intruding. He took a quick circuit round the room. Faint strains of their conversation drifted through the door. After a moment’s hesitation, Cloud took a step closer.

“Go home, Reno.” Rufus’ voice resonated icy disdain.

“No.” There was a petulant lilt to his tone and Cloud could imagine the pout that he wore. He mumbled something else that Cloud couldn’t catch.

“That’s my choice.”

“You’re getting in over your head.”

“I don’t believe I asked for your opinion on the matter.” His voice had dropped a level. Rufus’ voice was only ever that deep when he was annoyed or when he muttered dark, filthy commands into Cloud’s ear.

Cloud realised that his right hand was clenching and unclenching at his side. Annoyed at himself, he gripped his upper arms.

“You can't win him through sex.” _Win? Does he mean the game?_

“I suppose you would be the authority on that. Wait, Reno, I didn’t mean-” Rufus’ voice died away into silence.

Cloud paced the room again in a tight circle. The rest of his clothes lay scattered on the floor where he’d left them, dark against cream carpet. Cloud slid on his turtleneck. The cloth settled against his chest like a second, protective skin. It was still early. He could go back to the bar and get in a couple of reps before his next delivery.

If he wanted.

The door opened. Cloud paused, almost guilty. “Rufus.” The man’s lips were set in a thin line and his eyes were blank. Cloud hadn’t ever seen that expression before. He floundered. “That wasn’t - I didn’t mean…” Rufus flicked his fingers in a dismissive gesture and Cloud shut up. Everyone knew that Reno was a hot-headed idiot with a hair-trigger fuse: surely Rufus thought the same?

“He doesn’t think as clearly when he’s drunk,” said Rufus, a far more eloquent explanation than Cloud’s.

“Oh.” There had been more than alcohol fuelling Reno’s kiss. If Cloud trusted his instincts, then he’d have said that Reno was jealous.

Rufus’ cerulean gaze flickered down Cloud’s clothed body. “You’re leaving?”

“I…” Biting his lip, Cloud shrugged.

“I still owe you something.” A smirk tugged at the other man’s lips. “Don’t I?”

_I won._ “You do.” His heart picked up, sending a tremor of quickened blood through his body. Desire pooled at the base of his spine. _The bar won’t open for hours yet._

“So?” Rufus moved closer and ran his thumb over Cloud’s lower lip. “What do you want?” he whispered.

Instead of answering, Cloud opened his mouth and sucked the man’s thumb inside. Rufus slid a hand under his sweater, cold and dry. The man was wearing cotton trousers and an open shirt. Cloud released his thumb and pushed the shirt off. Rufus’ skin was pale gold in the shadows. The man was stunning. Even back in Healin Lodge six months ago, with a blanket covering half of his face, the sensual curve of his mouth had been striking.

Cloud didn’t quite know what he wanted. Or, he did, but he didn’t know how to voice it: vanilla, plain and simple. He placed a kiss on the curve of Rufus’ neck and sucked a bruise onto his shoulder. With a hum, Rufus slid his hand along the skin at the small of his spine. He gripped Cloud’s jaw with his other hand, turning his head gently to meet his lips.

Rufus kissed him with a kind of focus that made Cloud dizzy. He mapped the contours of Cloud’s mouth until all Cloud could feel was Rufus. The scent of him curled through Cloud’s lungs; subtle and intoxicating. Rufus held him there, taking deep, tender bites out of his mouth. Finally Cloud grunted and caught his tongue. Rufus let him, moulding his tongue against Cloud’s own.

Panting a little, Cloud drew back. Those eyes gleamed at him from the shadows. Cloud held the man’s gaze as he stripped, drawing his motions out until Rufus’ lips quirked. When he was naked, Cloud slipped the tips of his fingers underneath the man’s white trousers and urged them down. Rufus reached for him, slender fingers trailing over his hips.

Slowly, Cloud walked backwards. His muscles shifted under Rufus’ hands. The man followed him back to the bed. _I’ve been here for nearly twelve hours,_ thought some sober part of Cloud’s mind. He knelt on the bed, stomach taught, and again Rufus followed. The man kissed him there, slow and wet. He knelt, pressed up against Cloud, thighs to hips to chest. Beads of precum from Rufus’ cock dotted Cloud’s stomach.

Cloud wrapped his arms around the man’s waist, trying to press him even closer. Blood was pounding through his ears and little shocks of pleasure from where they touched had his own cock hard and leaking. He drew in a shaky breath. Rufus was breathing heavily, mouthing kisses across Cloud’s cheekbones. Cloud closed his eyes. Nothing else mattered right now save of the slide of Rufus’ cock on his skin and the man’s breath on his face.

_God, I want…_ Anticipation clenched his muscles tightly. Eager, suddenly, Cloud sat back on his calves. Rufus blinked, staring down at him. Cloud swallowed and licked his lips. The other man cupped his jaw, tilting his head up. Rufus looked like some kind of god, all lean muscle and silk skin poised above him. A surge of _wantdesirelust_ almost drew Cloud under.

Rufus sank down on the bed. He shuffled back, lying against the pillows, and smiled at him - open and encouraging. Not a smile Cloud had ever seen before. He filed it away at the back of his mind. Aching, Cloud rose to his hands and knees. Rufus leant back, parting his thighs so Cloud could slip between them.

Cloud caught his breath. This was different. The sheer act of Rufus surrendering himself like this… He’d never known the man to deliberately leave himself vulnerable. He could almost sense the man, a core that was as strong as metal. Cloud placed his hands gently on the inside of Rufus’ thighs, moving his fingers in tiny circles. Rufus’ eyelashes fluttered.

“Lube?” Cloud asked, voice husky and loud in the quiet room.

The man twitched his head. “In the drawer.”

Quickly Cloud got it out. He dripped oil over fingers that weren’t entirely steady. Biting his lip, Cloud slid his hand between Rufus’ thighs. The man tilted his hips up into his hold. Cloud pressed a finger against the small ring of muscle he found and then pushed it inside.

_Oh._ Rufus was tight. His body fluctuated around Cloud’s finger. Unable to stop himself, Cloud added another. A low hiss escaped the other man. Cloud scanned the man’s face for a reaction but all he saw was pleasure.

“That’s enough,” panted Rufus. His cock was trembling, lying straight and beautiful against his stomach. Cloud’s eyes narrowed. _It is not,_ he thought silently, and added a third finger. Rufus’ head fell back. “Tease,” he muttered.

“Not likely,” murmured Cloud. His left hand tightened around Rufus’ thigh. Lust raged in his loins but he would not move any faster than this. He needed Rufus to feel good. Hot muscles quivered around his other hand, then relaxed.

Cloud drew his finger out. The sound they made, wet and slick, went straight to his groin. His body - finely honed to the strength of a blade - was practically shaking. He parted Rufus’ legs even further, careful not to put too much pressure on the man’s body, and pulled them up a little. Rufus moved with him, all lithe compliance. Cloud held his own cock lightly and pushed inside Rufus’ body.

His breath hitched. Cloud heard Rufus make a sound very much like a moan. Rufus’ body swallowed him like a vice, tight and hot as a furnace. Cloud dropped his head, resting his forehead on Rufus’ shoulder. His arms were trembling a little. _Who’s the Daddy now?_ Cloud bit his lip just in time to stop the thought escaping. His mouth quirked and he hid a smile in the pale skin of Rufus’ throat.

The other man arched his hips a little, settling Cloud deeper between his thighs. Cloud breathed in deeply, inhaling the scent of Rufus’ body. He swiped his tongue over the man’s collarbone, pulling at the skin with his teeth.

Rufus threaded his fingers in Cloud's hair and pulled him up. With a gentleness that took Cloud by surprise, he pressed his lips to Cloud's own in a chaste, open-mouthed kiss. His breath puffed over Cloud’s cheek. Then Rufus dropped his head back against the pillow, lips twisted in a little smile. His body lay stretched out underneath him, one long leg hooked around Cloud's waist. He arched an eyebrow. “Well?”

Cloud flushed. Rufus’ cock lay thick against his belly, but his eyes held a bright, teasing gleam. “I…”

“Don’t you dare ask me if I’m sure,” muttered Rufus.

Cloud’s lips twitched. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“Good.” Rufus rippled his abdomen lightly and Cloud groaned as the movement pulled him deeper.

“Rufus,” whispered Cloud. _God, this man…_ He arched his back, flexing his hips. He slid out of Rufus’ body, skin grazing against his cock and driving shocks of pleasure through his blood. Closing his eyes, Cloud turned his head into Rufus’ neck. He thrust back inside Rufus’ body. The man arched up, thighs tightening around his hips.

His cock moved inside Rufus with a slickness that echoed obscenely under their heavy breathing. Cloud moved his hips smoothly, groaning a little. Oh… His body knew this pleasure. It promised ecstasy with every thrust. Every time he ground down, Rufus curved up and - “Shit,” he muttered, muscles tensing. _Not yet, not yet…_

Cloud went down on his forearms, cheek pressed up against Rufus’ throat. His weight shifted forward and his hips snapped down with more strength. Rufus gave a strangled gasp by his ear. Panting, Cloud hastened his movements. He sank into Rufus’ body, again and again. Each time he slid out, he felt Rufus’ muscles pulling at his skin as keenly as if it were his soul.

Shuddering, Cloud felt the ecstasy crest in his groin. Pleasure washed through his body, lapping at his brain. He groaned out something that might have been a name. Rufus constricted around his cock, almost to the point of pain. He hissed out a breath and distantly Cloud felt the man’s come splash against his stomach.

Release was a dark, feathery return to reality. Sweat had pooled in the hollow between his shoulder blades and it was cooling rapidly. Cloud shivered. On the occasions when he had allowed Zack to drag him out into the city after training, sex had always been just another exercise; stress-relief, rather than anything else. He had never felt this… _sated_ before.

He wasn’t as tired, this time, but he could feel the tug of sleep. His body had been trained to fight, not this. It wasn’t used to sex. Or so much of it, at least.

Huffing out a breath, Cloud opened his eyes. _Rufus won. I… I think._ For a startled moment he couldn’t remember. Then he thought of the man’s body tightening around him like a vice and knew that it was true. The next time would be Rufus’. A thrilled quiver shot down his spine. Was he… looking forward to it?

“It’s no wonder you get on so well with the chocobos,” murmured Rufus.

Cloud frowned, unsure if he had heard correctly. “What did you say about me and chocobos?”

“You mean aside from the obvious resemblance?” Cloud bit him. “Ouch!” Rufus threaded a hand through Cloud’s pale hair. “You know, I have much better things that your mouth could be doing right now.”

“I don’t doubt that,” replied Cloud, his voice muffled by Rufus’ taught pectoral muscles. They were more comfortable than they looked.

“Ksarov has completed the paperwork for the property transfer,” said Rufus quietly. “The factory and the grounds will be vacated before the end of the day. It’s on the other side of the marsh. I thought I might have a look at it.”

“Mm.” Cloud wondered if Chip was rested enough to race again. He hadn’t been to the Gold Saucer in a while.

“Unfortunately, both Reno and Rude are assisting the WRO.” The World Regenesis Organisation. There were plenty of rumours in Edge about the Organisation. Some anonymous financier was backing it. Cloud wondered if he was the sort of person to bet millions on a chocobo race and play chess with a delivery boy. “And Tseng and Elena are busy as well,” Rufus continued. “I’ll have to go alone.”

At that Cloud propped himself on his elbows and stared down at the other man. Rufus didn’t look repentant. “No,” he said flatly. “It’s too dangerous: the assassin could be tracking you.”

“I want to have a look at this factory,” said Rufus. “There might be something there that we can use.”

“Send one of the Turks.” _Send Reno,_ he thought, a little uncharitably.

“Cloud.” Rufus trailed his fingers down Cloud’s spine. The touch was cooling; comforting. “Come with me, then.”

“I’m not-”

“Interested?”

Cloud grit his teeth. “Not what I was going to say.”

An eyebrow quirked at him. “Either I go alone or I go with you. Your choice.”

_How could I forget how frustrating this man is?_ “Fine,” he sighed. “But don’t wear the suit.”

The man opened his mouth but Cloud shot him a glare. “All right,” he conceded. His fingers urged Cloud back down. After a second of hesitation, Cloud bent with them. Rufus scratched his nails lightly over Cloud’s scalp. They sent shivers through his body and Cloud shut his eyes.

He’d have to remember to pick up the rest of his blades before they left Edge. The marsh wasn’t far, but who knew what kind of monsters they‘d run into.


	7. One, Two, Three - Go!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aha, weren't expecting this, were you?

In his usual white suit, Rufus stood out like a beacon. Against the Turks, he looked startling. _That's probably why he wore it_ , thought Cloud. _First impressions_. Now, at the base of his apartment complex, he was dressed in a charcoal suit with an open-collared, teal blue shirt. His hair was tousled and his eyes seemed even bluer. He looked sleek and seductive, and infinitely more dangerous.

_He would have made a formidable Turk_ , thought Cloud. Then he changed his mind. Rufus was a strategist. He liked being the one holding the strings.

“Good morning, Cloud.” Even this early, Rufus’ voice was a purr.

He frowned. “What is that?” _That_ was a sleek black car with darkened windows and thousand-Gil tyres. It lurked beneath the apartment building like a shark amongst minnows.

“My transportation. I use it when I want to be discreet.” Discreet. _Right_. The thing _screamed_ money. “Or when I need to get away.”

Cloud snorted. He spent fifteen minutes prowling around the car, checking for any kind of abnormalities. If someone had tampered with it, this would be a very short drive. Rufus crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Finally, Cloud stepped back.

“Are you done?” He nodded, once. Rufus unbent and strode to the driver’s side. “Then let’s go.”

“I'll follow you.” Fenrir had all of his swords: he couldn't do much to protect them in a car.

Rufus paused. “There seems little point when we’re both going the same way.”

As an answer, Cloud swung his leg over the motorcycle and brought the engine to life with a thrum. Rufus shrugged and slid into the car, out of sight.

Dawn was just breaking as they left. Cloud thought that it would take them at least a day to get to the other side of the continent, but when they left the Midgar area, the car shot forward. Apparently Rufus was a speed-demon when he wasn’t working.

Cloud kept Fenrir behind the car, and just a little to the left, keeping it well in sight. He had to blink away a sudden sense of _deja vu_. At least Shinra’s minions weren’t trying to kill him this time.

Through the tinted spectacles of his goggles, the fields around them looked grey, washed out, but in reality Cloud knew that they were gold and green and all kinds of shades in-between. The breeze rustled through his hair, cool against his face. It would get a lot warmer once the sun broke through the last few lingering clouds.

  
__  


What the hell am I doing here? thought Cloud, more than a little bewildered. How was it that Rufus always managed to persuade him?

They dipped through a series of ridges, east of Midgar. Cloud tightened his grip on the handlebars. He’d missed this; having a real goal in mind. Maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea, after all.

It took a couple of hours for them to get out of the ridges and into the grasslands. To his surprise, they went quickly. Cloud’s mind was clear and calm by the time they hit the wide, grassy plains. It was refreshing.

Then the black car in front of him turned. Rufus was pulling into the chocobo farm, opposite the marshes. _What…?_ Cloud swerved to a halt by Bill’s house, some distance from the paddock so the birds wouldn’t spook. Rufus was standing by the car, examining the giant yellow birds as keenly as they were him. He arched an eyebrow at Cloud as the ex-mercenary came to stand beside him. “These are yours?”

Cloud cast an eye over the flock. “That one,” he said, tilting his head to the smaller bird at the back of the paddock. “I don’t recognise the others.”

“You only have one?”

“No.” Cloud eyed the man warily. Not for the first time, he wished he could read the thoughts behind those cerulean eyes.

“Hmm.” Rufus straightened. Despite his clothes, his posture still carried that Presidential assurance in the set of his shoulders and the tilt of his head. Beside him, Cloud felt scruffy; ever the delivery boy. He set his jaw and pushed the feeling away. “Who did you race last month?”

  
_  
_

How..? Then he remembered. F. Cat. “Chip,” he said, a quelling tone to his voice. To his credit, Rufus barely blinked at the name. Cloud jerked his head at the barn. “Inside.” _What are we doing here?_ he thought privately.

Rufus took a step forward, then paused. He turned, tilted his profile towards Cloud. “Show me?” he said, barely a lilt at the end of his words to turn it into a question.

Cloud blinked. After a second of hesitation, he slipped past Rufus and into the stables. Billy was there, perched on a stool in Claye’s stable, brushing her down. “Cloud!” The boy grinned, leaning across the chocobo’s pale green back. “Hey, it‘s been a while. You want to race again?” Then his eyes slide past Cloud and widened. “Oh. Hi.” He shot a glance at Cloud, shrewder than the mercenary would have expected.

Rufus inclined his head. “A pleasure to meet you.” He didn’t volunteer a name and neither did Cloud.

“Likewise.” Billy arched his eyebrows but went back to grooming Claye. “Just give me a shout if need anything,” he called.

“Which one’s Chip?” asked Rufus quietly. He stood in the centre of the barn, decidedly out of place amongst the grade-A greens and the giant yellow birds.

Silently, Cloud walked down to the far end of the stables. Chip was a black chocobo, Special Class - and his favourite.

“ _Kweh._ ” The bird recognised him instantly, padding to the front of his stall and craning his neck in search of greens. Cloud reached out to scratch him, tousling the feathers above its beak. Chip’s eyes closed in a blissful expression and it chirruped. After a moment he became aware of eyes on him. He glanced up to see that Rufus was watching and he drew his hand away quickly.

Something shivered through Rufus’ eyes. The man opened his mouth but another soft _K-kweh_ came from behind them. Cloud glanced back. Chaos had thrust her head over the wooden door and was eyeing him eagerly.

“A gold chocobo.” Surprise thrummed through Rufus’ voice. “I’ve never… How old is it?”

Cloud didn’t like to think about it too closely. He’d needed a gold, once upon a time, back when he had something to fight. Something to fight for. “About two years. Two and a half, maybe.”

“ _Kweh._ ”

“When will you race her?” Rufus studied her, keeping his sleek, dark suit out of reach of her sharp little beak.

”Soon. She’s still at Level B.”

”Do you think she can win?”

Cloud blinked. “So that’s why you stopped here,” he said, with dawning realisation. “You wanted _tips_.” Rufus’ eyebrows arched up and he stared at Cloud. Then his head tipped back and he laughed – actually, really laughed. The sound echoed through the dark stables. Even his chocobos stopped to stare. Cloud flushed and scowled. “Where’s this factory?” he said abruptly.

Rufus sobered quickly, at least. “On the other side of the marsh: the south coast.”

  


After a quick comfort break, they got back on the road. They drove south east, along the edge of the marsh, until they neared the beach. The factory sat nestled between two forked prongs at the end of the mountain range. Cloud stopped at the edge of the factory’s grounds, one foot on the earth. He pushed his goggles to the top of his head.

The factory was a heap of metal and rust. All of the towers were dark and there was no steam - no life anywhere. Rufus pulled up beside him and got out of the car. “What’s it for?” asked Cloud. It looked something like a smaller, less predatory version of a Mako reactor.

The ex-President shrugged. “Something to do with the mythril mine, I think.”

Cloud eyed him. “You don’t know?”

A sly smirk flashed his way. “It’s the land that’s important. Shall we go in?” he said smoothly and strode forward into the squat, central unit. Rolling his eyes, Cloud followed him.

Inside, the factory looked the same; serviceable metal under thin patches of rust. Rufus led the way into a control room, dotted with wide screens and computers. Cloud glanced around, arching an eyebrow at the state of neglect. Even under full power with all of his staff, Ksarov couldn’t have been taking care of this place.

Rufus leant over a desk on the far side of the room, rifling through a sheaf of scattered papers. Cloud stood watching the man. Those two years between the end of Sephiroth and his rebirth had aged Rufus. It was noticeable in the way he negotiated ( _manipulated_ , thought Cloud) and in the way his will had hardened to the point of iron. He was no longer the spoilt little rich boy who had controlled an empire.

In that moment, Cloud realised that he believed him. Rufus’ desire to redeem himself was sincere.

Something moved in the shadow of the room. Cloud stiffened. He stared, hard, into the far corner. It could be just the light, or a trick of his eyes.

Except he trusted his eyes completely.

Cloud drew Vigilante, holding it lightly in his hand. Rufus looked up from the desk. “Cloud? What is it?”

“We should go.”

After a moment, Rufus nodded, leaving the desk as it was. “All right. Let’s go.” They moved quickly out of the factory. Cloud kept Vigilante unsheathed, eyes scouring the shadows for any sign of movement. It wasn’t until they were out, in the fresh air, that he allowed himself to relax minutely. In the lee of the mountain, the factory looked small and unnatural.

They stood on a wide metal platform above a number of generators. It was dark between the mountains, although Cloud could see the line of daylight fall across the Grasslands where the ridge fell away.

His mental alarm bells began clamouring. Cloud stepped back, dropping quickly into a defensive crouch. Two massive Ark Dragons swept down out of the grey sky. Wind from their wings tugged at his clothes, whipping strands of his hair into his eyes.

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Hn.” Cloud drew the Hollow Sword from his sheath and twirled it in his other hand. He ran forward, whirling them in tandem. The dragons leapt out of his way, beating their wings to take them out of range.

Snarling, one flew past him. Cloud narrowly dodged its talon and retaliated by swinging the Hollow Sword and carving a line through its belly.

Another growl reverberated from behind him. Cloud swore. The dragon in front of him snapped its jaws. He dove sideways, turning quickly. There was a third monster. It leered at him. Cloud shifted, eyes flickering between the three dragons. They were too far away from each other for a single attack to kill them all. He would have to take them out one by one.

The dragon lunged at him. Taking a quick breath, Cloud dodged to the side. He slashed at the dragon, severing the delicate webbing of its wing. Air brushed at the back of his neck. A shot rang out and he heard a yelp. Cloud swerved. Rufus stood on the other side of the platform, gun drawn. His eyes narrowed and three more shots whizzed past Cloud.

Snorting, Cloud whirled in a circle, slicing at one dragon while another fell to Rufus’ pistol. Teeth cracked a hair’s breadth from his shoulder. Instantly Cloud moved, ducking down just as a bullet hit the dragon in the eye. He turned, following with a quick, merciless blow that killed the thing instantly.

He stood there for a moment, taking a deep breath. The air gradually stilled.

Rufus holstered his gun, making it disappear somewhere inside his suit. “What are they?”

“Ark Dragons,” replied Cloud. He nudged at one with the tip of his sword. Definitely dead. “They infest the Mythril caves. I’m not sure why they’re here.”

“Hmm.” Rufus walked over to stand beside him. “Perhaps-”

Something flashed. Instinctively Cloud reacted, shoving Rufus away and to the side. He snapped Vigilante up, into attack position.

It was the assassin.

The man must have followed them here. “Shit,” muttered Cloud. He shifted his weight. The killer held a slim, light-weight katana in one hand. His leg moved, very slightly, and Cloud saw, in that moment, how he would attack.

Gritting his teeth, he took a half step back. Then Cloud turned, throwing his arms out and slicing through the air. His sword clanged against metal. The assassin edged back and threw another blow at him. Cloud parried neatly, concentrating on the fight and the draw of air through his lungs.

He feinted to the left and nearly took a chunk out of the stranger’s thigh when the man fell for it. The other man snarled something that was muffled by his mask. Cloud smirked.

Then the man took a step back. From the tilt of his head, Cloud guessed he was smiling. _What the hell?_ The assassin dipped his fingers into a pocket at his hip and drew out three glinting shuriken. _He’s Wutaiian_ , thought Cloud, wondering if that connected to Rufus’ suspect. He braced himself, throwing Vigilante up to take the hit.

That head tilted again and the assassin turned away. His hand flicked out and the shuriken hurled through the air - at _Rufus_.

His heart stopped beating. Cloud watched as the blades spun towards the other man. Rufus’ body tightened and he twisted out of the way. One of the weapons flew right by him, thudding into the wall of the factory. His charcoal jacket whipped out with the movement and Cloud _couldn’t see the others._

With a quick, muted sound, Rufus dropped to one knee. Blood dripped to the ground just underneath his body. Something roared in Cloud’s head.

  
__  


Rufus.

Adrenaline thrummed through his body. Cloud snapped the Hollow Sword into place around Vigilante. His eyes narrowed to furious slits.

The assassin wavered. Instantly Cloud leapt forward. He swept his massive sword around and brought it down in a furious arc. The man blocked him, his grip on the katana firm once again.

Cloud pressed forward, slashing again and again, his vision clouded. He didn’t stop, forcing all of his strength into the blade. A cry and the katana gave way. Cloud knocked it aside. He turned his sword and stabbed it straight through the man’s chest.

There was a gurgling sound. Cloud tugged his weapon free. The assassin crumpled to the ground, motionless.

__

Rufus.

He turned, quickly, sheathing his sword and stalking over to the other man. There was a pounding in his ears. “Rufus.”

The man knelt on the ground, a deep furrow between his brows. “Cloud. What happened? Is he…?” He was coherent and his eyes were clear: no sign of a concussion. Blood was seeping through the fabric of his sleeve and dripping onto the floor.

His arm. Not his body.

“Dead. Where’s your phone?” Rufus nodded toward his pocket. Cloud dug out the phone and paged through the contacts list until he found what he was looking for.

Tseng picked up after the first ring. _“Sir?”_

“It’s Cloud. I need you to pick up Rufus. We’re at Tsarkarov’s factory on the south side of the island. And bring a medical kit.”

__

“I’m on my way.” Tseng hung up without another word. Cloud’s shoulders relaxed a fraction as he felt some of the tension ease.

“Where are you hurt?”

“Just my arm.” A fraction more of that tension dissipated. Rufus let go of his arm, wincing. When he drew his fingers away, they were smeared with blood. “I was hit.” He glanced up at Cloud. Rufus reached up, grazing his fingers lightly against Cloud’s cheek. “You’re hurt,” he murmured.

Cloud froze. “I’m fine. It‘s just a scratch.” In the heat of the battle, he hadn’t even noticed.

Rufus pulled away and Cloud could feel damp warmth on his face. Streaks of blood. Rufus saw it and he chuckled, but there was an edge of darkness to it that sent a chill down Cloud’s spine. “It soils everything I touch, this blood that stains my hands,” he muttered.

“Don’t,” snapped Cloud. There was _so much_ of it, dripping down Rufus’ hands and pooling on the floor. _If he hadn‘t moved fast enough…_ Cloud’s heart was beating so hard he thought it might burst out of his chest. If the assassin was still alive, he would have gone back and sliced him into pieces. Cloud clenched his jaw and suppressed the urge to do just that.

He dug out an elixir and handed it to Rufus. The liquid glimmered and Rufus swallowed it with a grimace. “Thanks,” he said, handing the empty bottle back. With a quirk of his brow, Cloud tossed it aside. An empty elixir was no use at all. Rufus shed his jacket, inspecting the wound on his arm. His teal shirt was stained dark with blood.

Spinning on his hell, Cloud walked over to the edge of the platform. He drew in a deep breath through his nose. _What am I thinking?_

After a while, Cloud recognised the whirr of helicopter blades. The black plane soared into view above the mountain and landed at a spot a few metres away. Cloud watched silently as Tseng and Elena sprung out of the vehicle. They raced to Rufus’ side. Elena knelt beside him, helping him to stand.

Tseng turned a violent gaze on Cloud. “What happened?” he snapped.

Cloud bristled. “There was an attack,” he replied flatly. “That _assassin_ showed up and almost killed him.” He jerked his head to the motionless body currently leaking all over the metal.

“Hmph.” Tseng knelt by the dead assassin. Elena supported Rufus over to the helicopter, chatting all the while. Cloud couldn’t seem to take his eyes off them until Rufus disappeared inside it.

Then Tseng shouldered the body. “What are you doing?” asked Cloud.

“We’ll trace him. Find out who ordered the hit.” Tseng’s expression promised bloody vengeance on whoever that might be. A nod, and the Turk followed his companion.

The helicopter lifted off instantly, turning north and vanishing over the mountains. Cloud stood there, staring at a point on the metal platform which was dotted with spots of red blood.


	8. Like This I Need You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, actually, really nearly there.

When he returned to Seventh Heaven, he found a handful of messages on the landline and another on his mobile; old clients and new deliveries. They kept him busy and, more often than not, out of Edge. Cloud welcomed the reprieve from his thoughts. He spent the next few days on the road, barely stopping long enough in one place to breathe.  His thoughts wound round in a tight, confined circle. He was eerily aware that he knew _exactly_ how long it had been until he’d seen Rufus disappear into that black chopper. Down to the hour.

Rufus had recovered within a fortnight. Twice Cloud had returned to find that Rufus had left messages with Tifa – had been to the bar, personally, looking for him. He listened to Tifa relay each message and ignored it.

Cloud tightened his grip on Fenrir’s black handlebars. Why does he keep thinking about Rufus, kneeling on that steel-grey floor and bleeding from his arm? Why does it  _hurt_  to think about?  _This is Rufus Shinra,_ thought Cloud. _He survived an eighty-storey building collapsing on top of him, not to mention six months of Geostigma._  The thought didn’t comfort him. On impulse, Cloud turned his bike toward the church, speeding through the streets until he pulled up just outside the building. The sight of it calmed him.

It was quiet among the old, cracked stone and the broken pews. Cloud stalked through the bright blossoms on the church floor. His mind was in turmoil.

_I thought he’d been hit. I thought…_

_I thought he was dying._

And _that_ made ice flare in his stomach, terrified him more than anything he thought possible. Cloud ran a hand through his hair roughly. _What the hell?_ He didn’t _worry_ about people like this. He trusted the old Avalanche and resistance members to take care of themselves. Only a few people had ever really given him that sudden, nauseating shock at the pit of his stomach. Tifa, Denzel and Marlene. Vincent, sometimes, when he couldn‘t pull out of Chaos fast enough. And Aerith, of course.

And Aerith. Of course.

Cloud stopped. His boots were jet black against the flowers. _No,_ he thought. _That can‘t be right._

Not yet, perhaps, he wasn’t quite there yet, but didn’t it make _sense_? Wasn’t his every second thought about Rufus? Hadn’t he been honest-to-god _scared_ when Rufus was hit? A flush of heat chased the cold away and his pulse skipped a beat. _That… can’t be._

He was unsettled and out of place, and he almost missed the glint of metal in the corner of his eye the displacement of air that meant another body was inhabiting that space.

Cloud whirled, reaching instantly for First Ken. Then he paused. It was Reno, one hand in his pocket and EMR over his shoulder. “Reno. What are you doing here?”

The man shrugged. He was grinning, all sharp white teeth and long red hair. “How’s it going, Cloud?”

Cloud remembered the brief press of lips on his and his eyes narrowed. “What do you want?”

“Oh, I came to see you.” A muscle ticked in the man’s jaw. Despite the levity of his words, tension chorded the lines of his body. “Or are you playing bodyguard to someone else, now?” Cloud frowned. “All that posturing and you still ended up watching our backs. I didn’t think you’d be that easy to manipulate.” Reno’s mouth twisted. “Guess I was wrong.”

“What?” A _bodyguard_?

He shrugged. “Hey, maybe you could even be a Turk when you’re done being a glorified breastplate.” Cloud snapped. He had First Ken in his hands before he realised he’d moved. A spark lit Reno’s eyes and he bounced on his feet. “That’s more like it,” he whispered and met Cloud with a clash of metal.

His blade made an ugly sound against the EMR. Cloud drew away, swung back for another hit. “What the hell, Reno?” spat Cloud through clenched teeth. _What’s your game?_

“You really are an idiot, aren’t you?” muttered the Turk. His EMR sparked and Cloud dodged. He raised First Ken and blocked, flicked the rod away and countered with a slash that almost took a chunk out of Reno’s thigh. Reno bared his teeth. “All he wants from you is a quick fuck and a cheap bodyguard.”

The words stung. Cloud surged forward, blade whistling as he sliced through the air. Reno evaded him nimbly. _All this time and Rufus just wanted…_ But that was exactly what he’d said at the beginning, wasn’t it? Just sex, _only_ sex. _Not work, though, it was never_ work.

_No_ , thought Cloud suddenly. _It’s not true._ His mind was warring with itself, even as his body twisted and turned a parry into a counter-attack. _I don‘t believe you._ He thought about Rufus; the expression in his eyes at the chocobo ranch, the way he’d been so gentle the night before. As good as he was at acting, Cloud knew him better than he thought. “I don’t believe you,” he said aloud, narrowing his eyes. Reno took a step back. There was a flash of something across his face and Cloud knew instinctively that he was right. “Why are you saying this?”

Reno sneered. His fingers tightened on the grip of his baton. “You don’t deserve him.”

First Ken dropped a little in his hands. _Oh,_ he thought, followed quickly by _I should’ve picked that up sooner._ Cloud brushed blond bangs away from his forehead. He gazed at Reno. “I’m sorry,” was all he said.

“Tch.” Reno rolled his eyes. He was twitching on his feet, a cat on hot bricks. “Whatever,” he hissed, slashing at the air with his EMR.

Cloud could understand a small part of what Reno felt. It made sense. Another side of him - the animal in him - was snarling and bearing its claws, screaming _This is a threat._ Pressing his lips together, Cloud beat it back. Rufus belonged to no one but himself, and certainly not to Cloud. “Where is he?” Reno’s glance was sharp as ice and Cloud winced. Perhaps not the best person to ask, but he needed to see Rufus, to make _sure…_ “Reno. Where is he?”

There was a scowl on Reno’s face, but he couldn’t hold Cloud’s gaze. “I don’t know.” He shrugged. “Try the apartment. Moron,” he added.

Cloud sheathed his sword. “Thank you,” he said, keeping his tone even; sincere. He turned his back on Reno as he left the church, although he kept his senses strained to the point of discomfort. All he heard was a few shuffled steps and a soft thud; either the EMR or Reno’s knees. Cloud hoped, for the Turk’s sake, that it was the former.

He didn’t go to the apartment straight away. Instead, Cloud headed for the one other place that he felt safe. Standing on the cliff, Cloud crossed his arms over his chest and watched the city lights. He was almost sure. Despite how this started, despite their shared history, Cloud was in serious danger of falling into something he couldn’t control. That edge could still be miles in front of him, or it could be only a few feet away. He wouldn’t know until he tumbled off.

_What would Aerith tell him to do?_ The answer to that was obvious: fight for what he wanted. But what did he _want_?

Rufus was sly, and cunning, and devious. He manipulated people to get what he wanted, whether they were enemies or friends. His eyes held more emotion than Cloud could ever guess at and his voice set Cloud’s body on _fire_.

He didn’t want to give that up. Cloud caught his breath. Whatever the hell this was, he still wanted Rufus.

x

It took less time than he would’ve liked to reach Rufus’ apartment. Cloud’s mind was distressingly quiet, unable or unwilling to offer him anymore rope with which to hang himself.

Tseng was there. Immediately Cloud tensed. As he stood there, the Turk cast a staid glance out of the window. “What is it, Cloud?”

“Where’s Rufus?” Tseng stood with his hands behind his back, hair sleek and suit without a single, tiny wrinkle. Cloud was suddenly very aware of the dirt under his fingernails and the state of his boots. “I need to see Rufus,” he said, voice loud in the apartment. Tseng was taller than him, but he moved like a ghost. “Where is he?”

Dark eyes flickered over to him and away. “Why?”

“What?”

“Why do you want to see him?” elaborated Tseng.

“I…” The Turk had to know what they’d been doing –  _they probably all do, by now,_  he thought ruefully – so why ask? Cloud’s first instinct was to freeze up and snap out a deflector. Somehow, though, he didn’t think that would help him this time. And isn’t this fun, muttered part of his mind.  _Being on the other side, for once._  “We need to talk,” he said finally.

One slender eyebrow rose. “Is that so?”

Cloud’s patience was taught as a rubber band. “Yes,” he snapped. “That _is_ so.”

Tseng raised a fine dark eyebrow. “Why should I tell you where he is?”

Cloud took a gamble. “Because you’re going to anyway.”

A snort and Cloud almost choked on his own saliva. He didn’t think he’d ever heard Tseng make such an undignified sound. “I do not think this is a good idea. Any of it,” he said.

Cloud rolled his eyes. “And I bet you told Rufus that, too, right?”

“Although I frequently warned him otherwise,” continued Tseng. “The President continued to see you.” First Ken was a reassuring weight at his back and Cloud debated the wisdom of unsheathing it twice in one day. Tseng hadn’t moved. “He was reckless. And he was shot through the heart.”

“His arm,” corrected Cloud. And then; “Are you saying that was my fault?” The look he garnered was cutting. Cloud took a deep breath. “I just want - I _need_ \- to see him. Please.”

With a slight roll of his shoulders, Tseng took a step back and inclined his head. “He’s at Healin Lodge.”

_Of course._ Cloud spun on his heel. Another thought occurred to him and he paused on the threshold. “Reno’s at the church. You should pick him up.”

To his credit, the Turk didn’t look surprised. “Thank you for letting me know.” As if Tseng didn’t have informants all over the city.

_Whatever._ Cloud clenched his fist. He had to get to Healin Lodge.


	9. Between the Shadow and the Soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rufus has spent three months recovering from Geostigma in Healin Lodge, while Cloud has spent that time running his errands. He's shocked when apparent boredom motivates the President into giving him an unusual proposition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. There will be one more standalone piece, which is just a handful of vignettes from Rufus (who can't seem to leave well enough along!). I hope you enjoyed reading this series as much as I enjoyed writing it.

The sky was grey; banked fog and wisps of cloud. A storm had broken in the night, though it felt as if all the pressure was flowing into Cloud’s spine and knotting there.

Rufus stood at the far side of the lodge. He turned as soon as Cloud entered and the expression that caught fire in his eyes looked remarkably like hope. "Cloud." Then long lashes swept down and his eyes became shuttered again. "What is it?" he said, as if he hadn’t left half a dozen voicemails damn near begging Cloud to come back.

The sight of the man in this place brought back memories of heat and ecstasy, riddled with a kind of damp confusion. Cloud wanted something he couldn’t name. "How’s your arm?" he asked instead.

"Better, thank you." Cerulean eyes swept over Cloud’s body and then away. Rufus walked over and stood behind his desk, hard walnut wood. A heartbeat of silence. "I’m afraid I don’t have any deliveries for you," he said, stiffly.

"That’s not-" Cloud bit down on the words. They’d come this far, why wasn’t Rufus taking the next step? He’d gotten so used to following it felt odd, now, to try and articulate what he felt. "Are we still playing the game?" he asked finally.

Rufus merely looked at him "This isn’t a war. There are no sides. I don’t want to be your enemy, Cloud."

Cloud eyed the heavy desk that stood between them. "I’m not the one drawing battle lines."

Brows furrowing, Rufus tilted his head. "Aren’t you? And yet there seem to be a dozen that you don’t want me stepping on."

_Seventh Heaven and the church,_ thought Cloud. _Maybe the chocobo farm._ "I…"

"What do you want, Cloud?" asked Rufus. The man ran a hand through his hair. Something about the movement made Cloud think; _bleak_.

Not two hours ago he’d been asking himself that same question. "I don’t know," said Cloud honestly.

"Then why are you here?" The last word almost cracked.

"I don’t know," he whispered again. But, he thought, but. "You never said this game had an expiry date," he added and Rufus raised his head. "And I don’t give up." Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Ever," he stated emphatically, trying to chase the doubt out of those eyes.

"Really," said Rufus.

He nodded, once. Still Rufus wasn’t moving, was simply staring at him, waiting. Cloud swallowed. He lay his swords carefully on the floor, still in the harness. Then he unzipped his vest, thrilling at the way Rufus’ tongue darted out to wet his lips. "You won the last one, right?"

"I’m not so sure," admitted Rufus.

Cloud toed his boots off. "Your turn," he said. "Anything you want." The words were easier to say than he’d imagined when he’d been repeating them on the way here, over and over again.

"Are you sure, Cloud?" The mercenary stripped off the rest of his clothes, quickly and perfunctorily, and dropped them to the floor. The air was cool against his naked skin, but oddly Cloud only felt powerful, coiled and tense with it. Rufus swallowed. "All right. Come here." But when Cloud stepped forward Rufus raised a long finger and shook his head. "No. Crawl."

It was Cloud’s turn to swallow, then. Rufus’ voice had dropped and his own pulse quickened in response. This is what he wanted. Desire flooded through him on a knife edge of relief Taking a deep breath, Cloud sank slowly to his knees. The air on his skin felt cold, sent shivers through his body. Cloud crept to Rufus’ feet, on hands and knees. Dark, aching want was uncurling in his stomach. He paused and Rufus’ fingers slid down over his cheekbone, cupping his jaw.

"Perfect," he murmured. "Up on your knees." Cloud obeyed, let Rufus shift his body where he would. The man disappeared for a moment and Cloud felt thin, supple cord wrap around his wrists. Instantly he tensed, unable to keep it from flexing across his shoulder blades. "Easy, Cloud." Fingers danced up the curve of his spine. Cloud allowed himself to arch into it, bowing his head. His knees parted instinctively, spreading so wide he could feel the burn in his thighs. Cloud tested the bonds. The knots held, but with enough slack that he could wriggle free - if he wanted to.

Rufus drew in a breath and Cloud’s lips curved into a smirk. The man’s eyes narrowed. "One more thing, Cloud." A long strip of black silk dangled from his fingertips. Fear surged in Cloud's belly: to be blind, _helpless..._ "Cloud…" Cloud closed his eyes and sighed as his pride shouldered a bag, waved farewell to his dignity and stormed out the door, muttering curses under its breath the whole time. He tilted his head and felt the silk settle tightly over his eyes. Everything went dark.

Cloud twisted his fingers around the rope tying his hands. Anticipation made his stomach taught, edged with more than a little fear. He reminded himself that he was here voluntarily. The room was completely silent and the fear spiked again. Cloud turned his head. "Rufus?" he asked, glad his voice didn't waver.

"I'm here." The sound came from behind him. Damn but the man could move quietly when he wanted. _Just get on with it,_ he thought, biting the inside of his lip so he wouldn't speak it aloud. "I wish you could see yourself, Cloud. Skin like moonlight and hair like cut wheat. You are beautiful, you know." Cloud shivered. He couldn’t help himself. He was excited, despite the bonds and the blindfold - or because of them? - and his breaths were quickening.

Fingers carded through his hair, traced the line of his jaw. Rufus’ mouth touched the edge of his blindfold, where silk blended into skin. At the feel of those lips that were fast becoming familiar, Cloud felt himself relax. He parted his own lips and caught Rufus’ mouth with his own. A groan escaped him as Rufus’ tongue plundered his mouth. Rufus drew away and Cloud licked his lips. He wondered what he looked like; bound, blindfolded, and mouth wet. The thought sent a shudder down his spine.

He heard Rufus moving. A thumb touched the edge of Cloud’s lip, coaxing them apart, opening his mouth wide. A curl of heady musk met Cloud’s senses. His mouth watered and Cloud leant forward. The head of Rufus’ cock touched Cloud’s full bottom lip. Cloud stretched his tongue and licked a salty drop of precum from the slit. "Cloud," Rufus moaned, and his heart jolted at the sheer weight of _longing_ in his voice.

Opening his throat, Cloud sank down on Rufus’ cock. The man’s grip tightened in his hair and Cloud groaned. Silken and hot, his cock was a familiar, delicious weight on Cloud’s tongue. His knees were grazed, his thighs burning and his jaw stretched wide. Lust pooled like hot oil in his groin. Cloud was panting through his nostrils, trembling and rock hard. He swallowed, throat flexing. Saliva seeped from the corner of his mouth, dripping down his jaw. His own cock ached and Cloud shifted. He made a noise that sounded shamefully like a whine.

Immediately Rufus pulled back, leaving his mouth empty. Eagerly Cloud leant forward and tried to follow it. “Wait, wait.” Rufus stopped him, grip a little too strong on his shoulders and voice not quite steady. Then fingers touched his mouth. "Suck them," whispered Rufus. Cloud laved the fingers with his tongue, taking them into his mouth and hollowing his cheeks around them. He could hear the noises he was making, wet and obscene, but they were only causing his blood to beat faster. “That’s good, Cloud,” purred Rufus from somewhere in the darkness. Cloud felt the floor, hard and unforgiving under his knees. Nothing else touched him save for the fingers pinning his tongue to the flat of his mouth. He groaned. Oh god, _this_. This is what he wanted, maybe what he’d needed all along.

He felt the air shift as Rufus knelt behind him, tugging his dripping fingers out of Cloud’s mouth. Cloud’s own hands were tied at the small of his back and Cloud pulled them up, drawing them more tightly underneath his shoulder blades. Rufus didn’t waste time. He skimmed down and rested the soft pads of his fingers on the soft stretch of skin behind his balls. His muscles fluttered against the touch. Cloud dropped his head, arching. Rufus growled, low and deep in his throat. The searing arousal in his stomach fluctuated and Cloud gasped. One slick finger slid inside him. It was all Cloud could feel, all he could stand to feel. His senses narrowed in on that touch, teasing him open.

Another, spreading him wide. His body was tense almost to the point of pain, balanced precariously on his knees. Soft, wanton noises escaped him, even as he tried to keep them back. Rufus pressed a kiss on the nape of his neck. “Almost there,” he whispered roughly. Cloud’s throat was raw; he couldn’t have responded if he had the words. Instead, he flexed his muscles and pulled Rufus’ fingers in deeper. There was a short, animalistic sound and Rufus jerked his hand away. The blunt head of his cock nudged up between Cloud’s thighs. Breath shattered, Cloud tried to spread his legs wider, pleading wordlessly with his body.

The head pushed into him, stretching in a deep, luscious ache. Cloud concentrated on breathing as Rufus slid into him all the way. Cotton and silk pressed up against his back, hands caught between their bodies. A bead of sweat dripped from the blindfold around Cloud’s eyes. His own cock brushed against his abdomen, so hard he thought it should hurt. Rufus was muttering something in his ear. Cloud only caught a few words - _so good, Cloud, beautiful_ \- but they tightened around his chest, around his whole body like another layer of bondage. Rufus thrust into him, scraping over Cloud’s prostate with fine, beautiful precision. He moved again, thighs against Cloud’s own and hands tight around him. Another sharp burst of pleasure and Cloud keened. Rufus was fucking him on the floor like an animal, tied up and blind, and, oh god, he _loved_ it.

Cloud threw his head back against Rufus' shoulder, rocked with each thrust. He felt that hand round his cock and finally that voice sounded in his ear. "Let go, Cloud." With a cry, Cloud surrendered that last thread of control. Turning his face into Rufus' neck and shuddering, he came. Ecstasy clouded his thoughts and sent his blood pounding through his body. Each wave slowly seeped through him and away, until he could breathe again. Rufus still held him lightly and Cloud relaxed back into his touch. The silk was damp around his eyes. Rufus brushed a butterfly kiss on his neck and loosened the black cloth. It came away and Cloud blinked a few times, vision clearing. His eyes were damp, sore. There would be a snake-like band of bruises around his wrists and crescent imprints in his palms. Cum had spattered his stomach and thighs, and more would leak out of him when Rufus stood. He was also fatally, deliriously happy.

"You’re a sick bastard," he muttered into the curve of Rufus’ pale shoulder.

The man chuckled unsteadily. "Never said I wasn’t." Rufus stayed inside him, dropping kisses along the curve of Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud just closed his eyes, concentrating on the sweet, delicious ache which pulled at his body. He could stay here for days, or until their next little ‘game’.

Then he grinned.

Rufus had lost this one. It was his turn.


End file.
